Edward Rutherfurd is a pen name for Francis Edward Wintle (born 1948 in Salisbury

Salisbury

Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...

, England) known primarily as a writer of epic historical novels. His debut novel

Debut novel

A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...

 Sarum set the pattern for his work with a ten-thousand year storyline.
Educated locally and at Cambridge University and Stanford Business School, where he was a Sloan scholar, he worked in political research, bookselling and publishing.