Arthur Durham Divine was born and educated in Cape Town. He was a journalist on the Cape Times between 1922-1926 and again between 1931-1935. In 1930 he commenced his career as an author of adventure stories, thrillers, military politics and history books. During the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, Divine crossed the English Channel three times in a 35-foot boat to rescue trapped British soldiers. During the last journey he was wounded. Divine had been a war correspondent and after the Second World War became the defence correspondent of the Sunday Times in Britain, a post he held until 1975. He died in 1987.