No, an Englishman. He lived 1914-2000, and wrote a series of novels - 21, to be exact - set at the time of the Napoleonic wars. He has been compared to Jane Austen because his novels are set in that era, and because he had a marvellous grasp of Regency language. I definitely recommend his books; the first one is called Master and Commander, the second one is Post Captain. (There was a film made some years ago called Master and Commander; it contains pieces and episodes from four or five of the novels. It's a good film, as films go, but it does not have of the real strengths of the novels - the dialogue and the humour.) I could go on and on about why I like the books so much, but I think the best recommendation I could make is simply to read the first one or two.

I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy, and read British and American authors fairly indiscriminately. (I have some Scottish favourites - Iain (M) Banks, Ken MacLeod, Charlie Stross.)