Edward Cartwright Beard

Edward Cartwright Beard was born on the Wirral in 1948. He attended St. Aidan's Private school in Wallasey until he was eleven. A casualty of the 'eleven plus exam syndrome, he finished a somewhat sketchy education at a secondary modern school. He has been married to his wife Susan for fifty three years. They have four sons, seven grandchildren and live in the Isle of Man.

He gained his love of history after reading A Childs History of England by Charles Dickens. Since then he has read many non-fiction books on Anglo Saxon history. His favourite authors range from Tolkien to Bernard Cornwell and Thomas Hardy.

The Testament of Leofric the Black Volume one and Volume two are the first two books of a trilogy set in Dark Age Britain.