THE AUTHOR.......Professor Bernard Knight CBE
Bernard Knight has been writing for over forty-five years, his first novel being published in 1963. He is now the fourth longest-serving member of the Crime Writer's Association and was for a number of years one of the judges for the CWA Silver Dagger Award for non-fiction.
He has written crime novels, 'straight' historical novels, and many historical mysteries, as well as biography, medical and medico-legal textbooks, popular books on forensic medicine and on the history of medicine. In addition, he has written many radio and television drama and documentary scripts, as well as acting as technical advisor and presenter of several television series. He is a founding member of the 'Medieval Murderers' promotion group (see p.5) and for many years has regularly reviewed crime books for the Tangled Web site (www.twbooks.co.uk)
He has written crime novels, 'straight' historical novels, and many historical mysteries, as well as biography, medical and medico-legal textbooks, popular books on forensic medicine and on the history of medicine. In addition, he has written many radio and television drama and documentary scripts, as well as acting as technical advisor and presenter of several television series. He is a founding member of the 'Medieval Murderers' promotion group (see p.5) and for many years has regularly reviewed crime books for the Tangled Web site (www.twbooks.co.uk)
However, writing has not been his main profession, as he is both a doctor and a barrister. Starting life as a farm-worker, intending to take a degree in agriculture, he then became a hospital laboratory technician before gaining entry to medical school. Qualifying in Cardiff in 1954, he did a short spell as a family doctor in a Welsh mining valley, then entered the Royal Army Medical Corps as a regular medical officer, serving for three years in Malaya during the terrorist Emergency, mostly as the pathologist in a small military hospital which he likened to MASH!
On returning to civilian life, he became a forensic pathologist in the London Hospital, Whitechapel, as assistant to Dr Francis Camps, then became Senior Lecturer and Home Office Pathologist in Newcastle and Cardiff, being appointed Professor of Forensic Pathology in the University of Wales in 1980, retiring in 1996. He founded the Wales Institute of Forensic Medicine, of which he was the first Director and remained a Home Office Pathologist until 1998.
He has been President of the Forensic Science Society, the British Association in Forensic Medicine, Vice-President of the International Academy of Legal Medicine and a member of the General Medical Council. He has been involved in hundreds of homicide cases, for both prosecution and defence, including Fred and Rosemary West, Mary Bell, Vatican banker Roberto Calvi and Stephen Truscott (Canada).
Professor Knight was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn in 1967 and was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1993, for services to forensic medicine. He is married with a son Huw and lives in Cardiff, where he was born in 1931.
His qualifications are;-
MD, BCh, MRCP, FRCPath, DMJ(Path), FHKCPath, FFFMRCP, FRSM(Hon), DM(Hon), DSc(Hon), PhD(Hon), LLD(Hon) and Barrister of Gray's Inn, London
On returning to civilian life, he became a forensic pathologist in the London Hospital, Whitechapel, as assistant to Dr Francis Camps, then became Senior Lecturer and Home Office Pathologist in Newcastle and Cardiff, being appointed Professor of Forensic Pathology in the University of Wales in 1980, retiring in 1996. He founded the Wales Institute of Forensic Medicine, of which he was the first Director and remained a Home Office Pathologist until 1998.
He has been President of the Forensic Science Society, the British Association in Forensic Medicine, Vice-President of the International Academy of Legal Medicine and a member of the General Medical Council. He has been involved in hundreds of homicide cases, for both prosecution and defence, including Fred and Rosemary West, Mary Bell, Vatican banker Roberto Calvi and Stephen Truscott (Canada).
Professor Knight was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn in 1967 and was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1993, for services to forensic medicine. He is married with a son Huw and lives in Cardiff, where he was born in 1931.
His qualifications are;-
MD, BCh, MRCP, FRCPath, DMJ(Path), FHKCPath, FFFMRCP, FRSM(Hon), DM(Hon), DSc(Hon), PhD(Hon), LLD(Hon) and Barrister of Gray's Inn, London
E-mail; knight.j4@sky.com
THE LATEST IN THE CROWNER JOHN SERIES
Number Twelve in the saga, published in hardback in April 2008, and in paperback in August 2008
