James H. Jackson

James H. Jackson was a British author of historical and contemporary thrillers whose professional experience informed his detailed treatment of warfare, intelligence and political violence. Born in London in 1962, he studied law, politics and military affairs, was called to the Bar and became a member of the Inner Temple. He also worked as an international defence and political-risk consultant, advising clients on security and overseas trade while lecturing and writing about subjects including low-intensity conflict, counterterrorism and the arms trade. Jackson died aged sixty-one.

Jackson’s historical fiction includes the Christian Hardy series, which follows an English soldier and intelligence agent through the Great Siege of Malta in Blood Rock, the Spanish Armada in Realm, the Gunpowder Plot in Treason and the founding of Jamestown in Cradle. His Crusader novels—Penance, Pilgrim and Perdition—range from the reign of Richard the Lionheart and the Children’s Crusade to the fall of Acre. He also wrote Second World War thrillers and contemporary novels such as Dead Headers, Cold Cut and The Reaper. His fiction combines extensive historical research with espionage, conspiracy and military action, often placing fictional agents inside decisive political and religious conflicts.