Peter James is a professional writer on ancient history and archeology. He studied at Birmingham and London universities and describes himself as a "generalist" in the study of the ancient Near East and Mediterranean. He has published numerous articles on ancient technology, chronology, and the history of science and is the principal author of the highly controversial Centuries of Darkness and a forthcoming book on Atlantis, The Sunken Kingdom.

Dr. Nick Thorpe, an archeologist in prehistory, studied at Reading and London universities and is now lecturer in archeology at King Alfred's College, Winchester. He directs research projects in Britain and Denmark. He has contributed articles on agriculture and chronology, metalworking, astronomy, and prehistoric society to numerous books and journals and is a coauthor of Centuries of Darkness.