Paul Martin is a former book and magazine editor with the National Geographic Society. His writing assignments have taken him to Cuba, Jamaica, England, India, Vietnam, and many other destinations. In the course of his travels, he has walked the Great Wall of China, explored the tombs and temples of ancient Egypt, researched volcanoes in Hawaii and glaciers in Alaska, and run the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in a wooden dory. The author of eleven books of fiction and nonfiction, he has also edited or contributed to a dozen other books on history, culture, and science. An amateur luthier and onetime vineyard owner and winemaker, Paul lives near Washington, D.C.