Arthur Cotterell was formerly a principal at Kingston College in London, where a performing arts theater is named for him. He has spent many years combining senior educational management with historical research to write books on the ancient world and mythology. A respected author of more than thirty books, he has been published by Penguin and Oxford University Press. His credits include The Minoan World, The Penguin Encyclopedia of Ancient Civilizations, Ancient China, and The Illustrated Encyclopedia of World Mythology. He lives in Surrey, England, outside London.