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Iain Manson - (photo by himself)

A Life – of Sorts

Born in 1950 of a Scottish father and a Welsh mother, Iain Manson was brought up in Scotland, and graduated from Edinburgh University in 1972.

In 1976 he went to Egypt to teach English under the auspices of Voluntary Service Overseas. Over the next twenty years, he worked in Sweden, Oman, Sudan, and the Soviet Union, where he taught at the University of Kiev and at Leningrad Polytechnic. In 1990–91 he was in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, the nerve centre of Operation Desert Sword, which saw the expulsion of Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

Writing – a Bit

Since returning to England, he has lived alone in London, making an income from freelance writing. His work (almost all written under his former pen name of Simon Craig) has appeared in many publications on both sides of the Atlantic, including The Guardian, History Today, Astronomy Now, The Geographical, The Author, The Countryman, In Britain, Match of the Day Magazine, When Saturday Comes, The Cricketer, Military Heritage, Military History, Writers' Monthly and The Parliament Magazine.

Topics on which he has written include exploration, astronomy, and military history. His articles on the history of sport have covered bribery in cricket, soccer riots, drug taking in cycling, and soccer match fixing

He is a member of the Society of Authors, and has been interviewed several times on radio and television.

In 2008 his first book appeared. The Lion and the Eagle, published by SportsBooks, tells the story of the notorious Sayers–Heenan prize fight of 1860.

Praise for The Lion and the Eagle

Manson's account . . . bubbles and fizzes with vitality. The Independent on Sunday

An electrifying account of the early days of prize fighting. The Morning Star

It is very hard to fault this book at all. ultimateboxingresults.com

Book is real heavy mettle . . . a penetrating insight into life in Victorian London. The Sun

A well-paced social history, the narrative simply racing along as we career towards the world championship bout itself. sportsbookofthemonth.com

This legendary chapter in the history of boxing has never been more dutifully studied. Camden New Journal

. . . an accessible, rich and engaging account. livingsocial.com

The author did an amazing job in researching this outstanding book. trufanboxing.com

Absorbing . . . Packed with charming detail and atmosphere. The Independent

A number of books have been written about the fight between Tom Sayers and John Camel Heenan. But The Lion and the Eagle outclasses them all. supersport.com