<b>Philip McCutchan</b> (1920-1996) was a British author who grew up near Portsmouth dockyard and maintained a lifelong interest in the sea and military history. He served on war ships during WWII including the cruiser <i>Vindictive</i>, the escort carrier <i>Ravager </i>and the ocean boarding vessel <i>Largs</i>, ending the war as a Lieutenant, RNVR. He wrote over 80 books about the British army and its campaigns, including the <i>Halfhyde Adventure</i> series, the <i>Commander Shaw</i> series and the <i>James Ogilvie</i> series. He also wrote under the pseudonyms <b>Duncan MacNeil</b> and <b>Robert Conington</b>.