Martin Louis Alan Gompertz (February 23, 1886 – September 29, 1951) was a British soldier and writer, born in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, also known by the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

of 'Ganpat', which was the nearest his Indian troops could get to pronouncing 'Gompertz'. Ganpat is another name for the elephant god

Ganesh Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva_(Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is ...

. He started his writing career with articles for 'Blackwood's Magazine' on his service in East Africa during World War 1. He wrote many adventure stories in the style of

H. Rider Haggard Sir Henry Rider Haggard (; 22 June 1856 – 14 May 1925) was an English writer of adventure fiction romances set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a pioneer of the lost world literary genre. He was also involved in land reform ...

, though most of Ganpat's stories are set in the Himalayas. He was an Anglo Indian soldier, and his stories reflect his military and frontier background. He

retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

in 1939 with the rank of Brigadier, ending his days in the town of

Chagford Chagford is a market town and civil parish on the north-east edge of Dartmoor, in Devon, England, close to the River Teign and the A382, 4 miles (6 km) west of Moretonhampstead. The name is derived from ''chag'', meaning gorse or broom, and ...

, on the edge of Dartmoor, where he could pursue his passion for

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

''Works''

His books include the following titles: *''Dainra'' *''Fairy Silver'' *''Harilek'' *''High Snow'' *''The Marches of Honour'' *''Mirror of Dreams'' *''The One-Eyed Knave'' *''Out of Evil'' *''Roads of Peace'' *''The Second Tigress'' *''Seven Times Proven'' *''The Sleepy Duke'' (Historical Novel of the Plantaganets) *''The Snow Falcon'' *''Snow Rubies'' *''The Speakers In Silence'' *''Stella Nash'' *''The Three R's'' (Science Fiction) *''The Voice Of Dashin'' *''Walls Have Eyes.''(Science Fiction) *''The War Breakers'' *''Wrexham's Romance'' He also wrote two travel books on

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu and ...

, the Tibetan enclave in North-West Kashmir, "The Road to Lamaland" and "Magic Ladakh", as well as a travel brochure titled, "The North-West Frontier of India" for the Indian State Railways. Having served as a Captain in the

108th Infantry The 108th Infantry were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. The regiment traces their origins to 1768, when they were raised as the 1st Battalion, Bombay Sepoys. The regiments first action was during the Mysore Campaign in the Thi ...

of the British Indian Army, Gompertz also wrote, "The Indian Army Quartermaster's Manual", published in 1914.

References

The Book and Magazine Collector, No. 210, September 2001. ASIN: B002D2TUQ8

External links

*
Ganpat
at the

Encyclopedia of Fantasy ''The Encyclopedia of Fantasy'' is a 1997 reference work concerning fantasy fiction, edited by John Clute and John Grant. Other contributors include Mike Ashley, Neil Gaiman, Diana Wynne Jones, David Langford, Sam J. Lundwall, Michael Scott R ...

1886 births 1951 deaths 20th-century British writers British people in colonial India {{UK-writer-stub