David John James, born 1 January 1923 in Aberavon

Aberavon

Aberavon is a settlement in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. The town derived its name from being near the mouth of the river Afan, which also gave its name to a medieval lordship. Today it is essentially a district of Port Talbot, covering the central and south western part of the town...

, Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

, died 1 January 1993, was an author of historical novel

Historical novel

According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...

s.

He studied philosophy at St David's University College, Lampeter, and also read and completed an MA in psychology

Psychology

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...

 at Selwyn College, Cambridge

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

. He became a psychologist for the Ministry of Defence, lecturing on the selection and training of air crews for the RAF at Brampton. In addition to writing he also worked as a teacher and later for the Scientific Civil Service working on aviation problems.

He is known for writing four historical novels set in Roman and early medieval Britain and Europe. Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman

Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...

 is an admirer of James, especially his novel Votan, which provided one model for American Gods

American Gods

American Gods is a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novel by Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on a mysterious and taciturn protagonist, Shadow. It is Gaiman's fourth prose novel, being preceded by Good Omens ,...

 calling it “I think probably the best book ever done about the Norse”. James's skilful evocation of life and myths of Dark Age Europe also won him the admiration of neo-pagan authors John and Caitlin Matthews.

Fiction

• Votan (1966) Merchant Photinus the Greek travels into Germanic lands where he inspires rumours which lead to the creation of Norse Mythology
  Norse mythology
  Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
  
  .
• Not For All The Gold In Ireland (1968). Photinus the Greek travels in Britain and Ireland and encounters situations from Celtic myth.
• Men Went to Cattræth (1969) More serious than his earlier novels this recounts the tragic story of Battle of Catterick
  Battle of Catterick
  The Battle of Catraeth was fought around AD 600 between a force raised by the Gododdin, a Brythonic people of the Hen Ogledd or "Old North" of Britain, and the Angles of Bernicia and Deira. It was evidently an assault by the Gododdin party on the Angle stronghold of Catraeth, perhaps Catterick,...
  
   using the Y Gododdin
  Y Gododdin
  Y Gododdin is a medieval Welsh poem consisting of a series of elegies to the men of the Britonnic kingdom of Gododdin and its allies who, according to the conventional interpretation, died fighting the Angles of Deira and Bernicia at a place named Catraeth...
  
   of Aneirin
  Aneirin
  Aneirin or Neirin was a Dark Age Brythonic poet. He is believed to have been a bard or 'court poet' in one of the Cumbric kingdoms of the Old North or Hen Ogledd, probably that of Gododdin at Edinburgh, in modern Scotland...
  
   as a source.
• Seventeen of Leyden (1970) The adventures of Dr Richard Wormset, Physician and Number Seventeen of Leyden in the Knotte (the formidable secret service of His Majesty King James II), as he sails in pursuit of his betrothed who has been transported to the Indies for complicity in the Duke of Monmouth's rebellion.
• Lords of Loone (1972) A story of country life in 18th century Britain.
• Bridge of Sand (1976) Set in Roman Britain. Juvenal the satirist leads Roman troops to conquer Ireland via a mysterious rumoured bridge of sand.

Non-fiction

• The Paladins (1990) A social history of the RAF up to the outbreak of World War II
  World War II
  World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
  
  .

External Links

• John James- Votan Babylon Wales, February 01, 2010