Mike Wells read History at St Catherine’s College, Oxford. He is the author of over thirty textbooks for advanced level study on various aspects of nineteenth- and twentieth-century history, including the French Revolution and Napoleon, and a biography of Bismarck. He has also written about the history of warfare and aspects of American history, both of the USA and Latin America. He taught and examined history for many years and has lectured in the UK and in many different countries. Apart from history, his other passion is opera and his play about the composer Donizetti has been performed in Italy.