Talbot Mundy, a renowned adventure writer, was born in London, England, and received his education at Rigby. Following his graduation, he spent a year in Germany studying agriculture, before taking a position with the British government in Baroda, India. It was during his time in India that he became enamored with the country's rich history and culture, and he spent considerable time traveling the region on horseback, even venturing into Tibet.
Mundy's fascination with India led him to be posted to various positions in Australia and Africa, including Kenya, where he resided for several years. During his time in Africa, he developed a proficiency in several local languages and dialects, and took up big-game hunting. However, it was his interest in local magic that truly set him apart. While he was skeptical of many of the local practitioners, claiming that many were "frauds and charlatans," he did believe that some possessed genuine "occult powers" that defied scientific explanation.
In 1911, Mundy traveled to the United States, and later became a US citizen in 1917. The success of his early novels enabled him to embark on extensive travels around the world, with a particular focus on the Middle East and Egypt. He also spent a significant amount of time in Mexico, where he studied Mayan history and culture, particularly in the Yucatan region.
Eventually, Mundy settled down in Anna Maria, Florida, where he continued to write novels and short stories. Several of his works were adapted into films, with the most notable being King of the Khyber Rifles (1953),a Technicolor epic produced by 20th Century-Fox and starring Tyrone Power.
