Person biography:
Robert Whitaker, known by his pen names Trevanian and Nicolas Seare, was born to a poor family in Albany, New York. He moved to Montreal, Canada, at a young age and learned to speak French. His family later returned to Albany, where Whitaker spent most of his adolescence. He developed a love for reading and stories, which helped him cope with the hardships of his early life.
Whitaker joined the Navy during the Korean War and worked in intelligence. After the war, he moved to Seattle and attended the University of Washington on the GI Bill. He earned a bachelor's degree in theater and wrote and directed his own plays. He later earned a doctorate in communications and film at Northwestern University.
Whitaker's early career was marked by his work in television and film, where he wrote and directed several shows. He was also a professor of art and a mountaineer, and he used these experiences as inspiration for his writing. He married Diane T. Brandon, a painter, and they had four children.
Whitaker's writing career took off in the 1970s with the publication of his first novel, "The Eiger Sanction." The book was a huge success and was adapted into a film starring Clint Eastwood. Whitaker went on to write several more novels, including "The Loo Sanction" and "Shibumi," which were also well-received.
In the 1980s, Whitaker moved to Europe and began writing under the pseudonym Nicolas Seare. He published several novels, including "The Main" and "1339 or So: Being an Apology for a Pedlar." He also wrote a series of short stories and edited a collection of mystery short stories.
Whitaker's later years were marked by health problems and a decline in his writing output. He continued to write occasional short stories and was working on his final novel, "Street of the Four Winds," at the time of his death.
