Simon Adams worked as an editor of children's reference and other nonfiction books before becoming a full-time writer. He has written and contributed to more than fifty books on subjects as varied as the sinking of the Titanic, the two world wars, and the history of jazz. He is the author of Kingfisher Knowledge: Castles & Forts, Kingfisher Knowledge: Life in Ancient Rome, The Kingfisher Atlas of the Ancient World and The Kingfisher Atlas of the Medieval World.