James V. Byrom

James Byrom was born in Durban and educated at Estcourt High School. He worked in South Africa as a newspaper journalist and editor for 43 years before retiring (for health reasons) and moving with his wife Eileen to the United Kingdom in 2001 to be closer to their three sons (one in the USA, one in the UK and one in Switzerland) and their families.

While in South Africa he wrote and published the first "Field Guide to the Game Animals of Natal and Zululand". He also partnered his former school headmaster, R.O. Pearse, in writing "Dragon's Wrath" (Jonathan Ball Publishers, 1997), the story of the triumphs, tragedies, mysteries and dramas of the Drakensberg mountains. Then, on his own, he wrote "Fields of Air" (Covos Day, 2001), also covering triumphs, tragedies, mysteries and dramas, but of civil aviation in Southern Africa. "Fields of Air" is now available as a Kindle eBook. In 2006 James completed a revision of Pearse's all-time South African classic "Barrier of Spears" (Art Publishers). Several South African authors, among them Brian Godbold ("Mountains, Bullets and Blessings") and John Hone ("Encounters with the Dragon"), have published their gratitude to James for his editorial assistance with their successful books. "The Rules of War" was his debut novel, and was based on the true story of his maternal grandparents who were on opposing sides during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902.

James and Eileen were enthusiastic hikers in the Natal Drakensberg for many years. After leaving South Africa they continued hiking until recently, with excursions to many parts of the British Isles and Ireland, Colorado Rockies, Central Oregon, Arkansas, and Swiss and French Alpine regions. James is an enthusiastic member of the art club ("messing about with acrylics") in his home village in West Yorkshire. His art can be seen on his Facebook page.