Rosemary Sutcliff was born in West Clanden, Surrey, England, on December 14, 1920, the only child of Nessie Lawton Sutcliff and George Sutcliff, an officer in the Royal Navy.

Physically handicapped, Rosemary learned early from her parents to approach life stoically. Her earliest reading consisted of the works of Rudyard Kipling. She received a private formal education and studied at the Bideford Art School in Devonshire.

Sutcliff began her writing career early and was submitting manuscripts for publication by the time she was a young adult. The success of The Chronicles of Robin Hood in 1950 earned her a reputation as a commanding storyteller. Her hobbies—archaeology and cultural anthropology—have provided ready materials for her books. For four decades, she has combined a flair for exciting fictional narrative with an appreciation of her country's past to produce numerous books for young adults. She is...