About the Author

John Flanagan was born on May 22nd, 1944 in Sydney, Australia. His middle name is Anthony, but he does not use it on the covers of his books. Before Flanagan became an author he was an advertisement agency writer. After that, he became a television writer. Flanagan co-wrote the sitcom, Hey Dad…! which was a big hit on Australian television in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Then, he turned to writing books. Since he wanted to encourage his twelve year old son, Michael, to read he started writing a series of short stories. These short stories became his first book, The Ruins of Gorlan, which was published in 2004. Also this was the start of, what is now known as, the Ranger’s Apprentice Series. The series now has nine books published in Australia and the first seven books published in the United States. In fact, it is sold in more than twenty countries worldwide. Flanagan lives with his wife, Leonie, in the Sydney beachside suburb of Manly. He is currently working on the tenth book in the Ranger’s Apprentice Series.