David Pryce-Jones was born in Vienna in 1936. He studied modern history at Magdalen College, Oxford. His career has included spells teaching creative writing in Iowa and in California, as well as being a special correspondent for the Daily Telegraph covering international assignments including the Middle East wars of 1967 and 1973. His publications include nine novels, and twelve works of nonfiction. Among the latter are The Closed Circle and The Strange Death of the Soviet Empire. His latest book, Betrayal: France, the Jews, and the Arabs, will be published in the fall by Encounter Books. Since 1999, he has been a senior editor of National Review.