John Prebble

John Edward Curtis Prebble, FRSL, OBE (23 June 1915 - 30 January 2001) was an English/Canadian journalist, novelist, documentarian and historian. He is best known for his studies of Scottish history. He was born in Edmonton, Middlesex, England, but he grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada, where his father had a brother. His parents emigrated there after World War I. Returning to England with his family, he attended the Latymer School. He joined the Co... more

John Edward Curtis Prebble, FRSL, OBE (23 June 1915 - 30 January 2001) was an English/Canadian journalist, novelist, documentarian and historian. He is best known for his studies of Scottish history. He was born in Edmonton, Middlesex, England, but he grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada, where his father had a brother. His parents emigrated there after World War I. Returning to England with his family, he attended the Latymer School. He joined the Communist Party of Britain but abandoned it after World War II. He became a journalist in 1934 and served during World War II with the Royal Artillery. His wartime experiences led to his novels, Where the Sea Breaks (1944), and The Edge of Darkness, published in 1947. His Canadian prairie experience influenced two of his works, The Buffalo Soldier an historical novel about the American West, and Culloden, about the famous 1745 battle which resulted in the defeat of the Jacobite uprising. The story of Culloden had been part of the family lore... less