Who wrote books including "The Guns of Navarone", "Ice Station Zebra" and "Where Eagles Dare" ?

Alistair MacLean 1922 – 1987 was a Scottish novelist who wrote popular thrillers and adventure stories. Born in Glasgow, MacLean learned English as a second language after his mother tongue Gaelic.

After serving in the Royal Navy during WWII, MacLean began writing short stories for extra income. The publishing company Collins asked him for a novel and he responded with HMS Ulysses, based on his own wartime experiences.

His works, published between 1955 and 1986 include "The Guns of Navarone", "Ice Station Zebra" and "Where Eagles Dare" – all three were made into successful films. His books are estimated to have sold over 150 million copies, making him one of the best-selling fiction authors of all time.

John Buchan 1875 – 1940 is best known as the author of "The 39 Steps"

Jack Higgins 1929 - is still active as a writer and has sold more than 150 million books

Ken Follett 1949 -is still active as writer and has sold more than 160 million books