Gladiator Boy: Quest's End: Three Stories in One Collection 5

David Grimstone was born in Margate on 25th January 1978, far too late to fight in the arena. His surname was originally Cooke, but he didn't think this sounded too heroic so he eventually managed to persuade his mum to change it to something more 'powerful'. When he was a boy, he was often accused of daydreaming and 'drifting off'' during classes. He once let in five goals during a PE football match because he thought he'd seen a sparrow-hawk and went to investigate.

The only two lessons he loved at school were English and History, and he found a great way of combining the two with Gladiator Boy (Hodder Children's Books). These days, he spends much of his time exploring the many ancient and historical worlds inside his head.

An active wargamer and live-action roleplayer, he lives just a few miles away from the Roman Fort of Richborough in Kent. When he's not creating or developing the legends of the Gladiator Boy, David loves visiting derelict castles and abandoned fortresses with his wife, Chiara, and their new son, Sebastian. His ambition is to see Decimus and his friends on the big screen!