John Masters was a British author and army officer, born in Calcutta, India in 1914. He came from a long line of soldiers who served in the Indian Army, and he followed in their footsteps by attending the Royal Military College in Sandhurst and Wellington. After graduation, he joined the Light Infantry of Cornwall Duke and later applied to serve with the 4th Gorkha Rifles of Prince of Wales. His military career included serving on the North West Frontier, being appointed as the Adjutant of the 2nd battalion, and participating in the Anglo-Iraqi War during World War II. He also attended the Indian Army Staff College at Quetta, where he met and fell in love with the wife of a fellow officer, causing a small scandal at the time.
Masters' military career continued to be marked by significant events, including serving as Brigade Major in 114th Indian Infantry Brigade and 111th Indian Infantry Brigade, a Chindit formation. He served behind enemy lines in Burma and became the overall commander of the Chindits after General Orde Wingate's death. He was later awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his service. After leaving the army, Masters moved to the United States and became a full-time writer, drawing from his experiences in the army to write popular novels. He died in 1983 from complications following heart surgery, and his ashes were scattered over the mountain trails he loved to hike.