Tim Severin (as he has signed his books since 1978) is an intrepid traveler and a prolific writer about travel. Severin is distinguished among late-twentieth-century travel writers because he is a professional historian of travel and exploration, with a research degree from Oxford University. He demonstrates an eclectic command of history, geography, politics, and biography based on extensive research into primary documents of travel and exploration, including personal memoirs, logs, and journals.

For many of his books, Severin supplements historical research with travel and exploration of his own, verifying details of climate, geography, and other conditions with his firsthand experience. More dramatically, for several of his books Severin has duplicated historic or legendary voyages as he has followed the paths of such travelers as Marco Polo, St. Brendan of Ireland, Sindbad the Sailor, Jason and the Argonauts, Ulysses.

Giles Timothy Severin was a world traveler almost from the moment...