Jonathan David Latimer (1964 – 4 January 2009) was an historian and writer based in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. His books include ''Operation Compass 1940'' (Osprey, 2000), ''Tobruk 1941'' (Osprey, 2001), ''Deception in War'' (John Murray, 2001), ''Alamein'' (John Murray, 2002), ''Burma: The Forgotten War'' (John Murray, 2004) and ''1812: War with America'' (Harvard University Press, 2007) which won a Distinguished Book Award from the

Society for Military History The Society for Military History is a United States–based international organization of scholars who research, write, and teach military history of all time periods and places. It includes naval history, air power history, and studies of technol ...

and was shortlisted for the

George Washington Book Prize The George Washington Book Prize was instituted in 2005 and is awarded annually to the best book on the founding era of the United States; especially ones that have the potential to advance broad public understanding of American history. It is admi ...

."Times" obituary
/ref>Donald R. Hickey

/ref> Born in

Prestatyn Prestatyn is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Historically a part of Flintshire, it is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. Prestatyn has a population of 19,085, History Prehistory There is evidence that ...

, Wales, Latimer was educated at Christleton County High School, Chester. He studied for a geography degree at University College, Swansea but switched course to graduate in oceanography. He worked as an oceanographer until becoming a full-time writer in 1997. In 2003, he became an honorary research fellow at his ''alma mater'' (by this time Swansea University) and was appointed as a part-time lecturer in history on the BA (Hons) degree scheme 'War and Society'. He was also a guest lecturer at the

Joint Services Command and Staff College Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC) is a British military academic establishment providing training and education to experienced officers of the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force, Ministry of Defence Civil Service, and serving offic ...

Shrivenham Shrivenham is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England, about south-west of Faringdon. The village is close to the county boundary with Wiltshire and about east-northeast of Swindon. The 2011 Census recorde ...

. Latimer was an enthusiastic part-time soldier. Originally enlisting as a

sapper A sapper, also called a pioneer or combat engineer, is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, preparing ...

in the Royal Monmouthshire (Militia), he was commissioned in 1986 into the 3rd Battalion

Royal Welch Fusiliers The Royal Welch Fusiliers ( cy, Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales' Division, that was founded in 1689; shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designate ...

, Territorial Army. He spent periods attached to regular battalions in Northern Ireland (1989), Australia (1991–2) and as an intelligence officer (1992–3). Latimer died following a heart attack in January 2009. His book, ''Buccaneers of the Caribbean: How Piracy Forged an Empire'' was published posthumously in April 2009.

Selected works

*''Operation Compass 1940: Wavell's Whirlwind Offensive''. Oxford: Osprey Military, 2000. *''Deception in War''. Woodstock, NY: Overlook Press, 2001. *''Alamein''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2002. *'' Burma: The Forgotten War''. London: John Murray, 2004. *''Tobruk 1941: Rommel's Opening Move''. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2004. (Originally published by Osprey in 2001) *''1812: War with America''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2007. *''Buccaneers of the Caribbean: How Piracy Forged an Empire''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2009.

References

External links

Jon Latimer's website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Latimer, Jon 1964 births 2009 deaths Historians of World War II British military writers British military historians Welsh scholars and academics Alumni of Swansea University People from Prestatyn Academics of Swansea University Royal Welch Fusiliers officers Royal Engineers soldiers