Educated at the old Royal High School and Edinburgh University, Edward Spiers has spent most of his academic career at the University of Leeds, where he has written fourteen books, served as Chairman of the School of History, Dean and Pro-Dean of Research in the Faculty of Arts and Acting pro-Vice Chancellor for Research. He now serves on the Peer Review College and Panels of the Arts and Humanities Research Council. He is author of many books on Military histroy and warfare, including Haldane: An Army Reformer ( 1980), The Army and Society, 1815-1914 (1980), Radical General: Sir George de Lac. Evans, 1787-1870 (1983), Chemical Warfare (1985), Chemical Weaponry: A Continuing Challenge (1989), The Late Victorian Army, 1868-1902 (1992), Chemical and Biological Weapons: A Study of Proliferation (1994), Wars of Intervention: A Case Study - The Reconquest of the Sudan 1896-99 (1998), Weapons of Mass Destruction: Prospects for Proliferation (2000), and The Victorian Soldier (2004).