Edward Rutherfurd

Edward Rutherfurd (born Francis Edward Wintle in 1948) is a world-renowned English historical novelist celebrated for his sweeping, multi-generational epic sagas that map the vast history of iconic cities and nations. Born in the cathedral city of Salisbury, he built a sophisticated academic foundation at the University of Cambridge and Stanford University before working in political research, bookselling, and publishing. In 1983, he made the bold decision to abandon the book trade and return to his childhood home to craft his debut novel, Sarum. Published in 1987, the 10,000-year story surrounding Stonehenge became an instant international sensation, spending 23 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Rutherfurd subsequently solidified his status as a premier master of place-based historical fiction, publishing a string of massive global bestsellers including Russka, London, The Forest, The Princes of Ireland, New York, and Paris. Translated into over twenty languages, his heavily researched books blend the lives of fictional generations with monumental historical events. He further expanded his expansive literary universe with China: The Novel, a highly acclaimed family saga detailing the dramatic clash between East and West during the 19th-century Opium Wars and Boxer Rebellion.