Manning Coles

Manning Coles is the pseudonym of two British writers, Adelaide Frances Oke Manning and Cyril Henry Coles. Both authors were born in England, with Manning being born in 1891 and Coles in 1899. They are known for their collaboration on the Tommy Hambledon series of books, which features Thomas Elphinstone Hambledon as the main protagonist. Hambledon is a character who works for the Foreign Office, and the series consists of 26 books in total.

The two writers, Manning and Coles, were neighbors in East Meon, Hampshire. Both of them had experience working in intelligence during the World Wars. Coles worked for British Intelligence in both World Wars, while Manning worked for the War Office during World War I. Their writing style evolved over time, with their earlier books being more realistic and grim, while their post-war books were lighter in tone and perhaps overly whimsical.

In addition to the Tommy Hambledon series, Manning and Coles also wrote a number of humorous novels about modern-day ghosts. These novels were published in England under the pseudonym of Francis Gaite but were released in the United States under the Manning Coles byline. The inspiration for these ghost stories came from the real-life experiences of Coles, who would tell tales of his travels to his young sons, Michael and Peter. Coles had a remarkable ability to learn languages, which he put to use during his time in British intelligence. He enlisted in the Hampshire regiment during World War I while still a teenager and became the youngest officer in British intelligence, often working behind enemy lines.