Alfred Duggan (Alfred Leo Duggan) Biography

British historical novelist, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, educated at Balliol College, Oxford. Duggan wrote his first novel, Knight With Armour (1950), at the age of 47. Later, his keen interest in Crusader castles led him to write historical novels. Evelyn Waugh praised his understanding of the Roman Empire and feudal Europe, and greatly admired his novel Conscience of the King (1951), which illuminates the role of Christianity in the early medieval world. Among his other novels are The Lady for Ransom (1953), about Roger the Norman and his exploits in the service of the Byzantine Empire; Leopards and Lilies (1954), which is entertaining in its depiction of chivalry; The Cunning of the Dove (1960), about Edward the Confessor's shrewd political manœuvres; Family Favourites (1961), which focuses on the notorious emperor Elagabalus; and Count Bohemond (1964), Duggan's last word on the First Crusade.