Richard Ollard was born in 1923 and educated at Eton College. For twelve years from 1948 to 1959 Ollard taught history at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich in London. In 1960 he joined the publisher Collins as a senior editor, where he worked until his retirement in 1983. Since his retirement from Collins he has continued to research and publish widely. He lives in Morecombelake, Dorset.