John Matthews is an independent scholar living in Oxford. He published his first book in 1980, with Thames and Hudson, and since then has gone on to publish over a hundred titles on myth, folklore and ancient traditions.
He has worked in the film industry as an historical advisor and won a BAFTA for his work on the movie King Arthur (2003). He has made a lifetime study of every aspect of the Arthurian legends, from its origins to modern retellings, and recently wrote bestselling work on piracy. Pirates (Carlton/Athenaeum) was a number one New York Times bestseller for 22 weeks in 2005 and was translated into 18 languages.