Peter Rimmer was born in London, England, and grew up in the south of the city where he went to school. After the Second World War, and aged 18, he joined the Royal Air Force, reaching the rank of Pilot Officer before age 19. At the end of his National Service, he sailed for Africa to grow tobacco in what was then Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. The years went by and Peter found himself in Johannesburg where he established an insurance brokering company. Over 2% of the companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange were clients of Rimmer Associates. He opened branches in the United States of America, Australia and Hong Kong and travelled extensively between them. Peter now lives a reclusive life on his South African smallholding, writing his books.