Mark Kurlansky was born in Hartford in 1948. He graduated from Butler University with a degree in theater in 1970, refused to serve in the Vietnam war, and has opposed every war since. His book, Nonviolence: The History of a Dangerous Idea won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. He has written a number of bestselling books, including Cod and Salt and 1968: The Year that Rocked the World, as well as a number of books for young readers, six books of fiction, and a translation of a French classic by Emile Zola. This is his fortieth book.
