Adrian Gilbert has written several books on military history, most notably on the First and Second World Wars and sharpshooting. His most recent book is POW: Allied Prisoners in Europe 1939-1945, published by John Murray in October 2006.
POW tells the story of the nearly 300,000 Allied servicemen held in captivity by the Germans and Italians in the Second World War. It goes beyond the familiar escape stories to reveal what the whole POW experience was really like, with vivid first-hand accounts bringing this crucial – but often forgotten – aspect of the war to life.
Adrian Gilbert is also an expert on combat sniping. His acclaimed works on the subject include Sniper and Stalk and Kill, published on both sides of the Atlantic. Both books have been praised for giving new insight into the art of sniping; Sniper One-on-One has sold more than 100,000 copies in the US.
Some of Adrian Gilbert’s other books include The Imperial War Museum Book of the Desert War (Sidgwick & Jackson), published in 1992 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the battle of El Alamain; Britain Invaded (Century), an imaginary account of a cross-channel German invasion in 1940; and Germany’s Lightning War (David & Charles).
He is also the author of a number of children’s history books for Wayland and Franklin Watts, and has been a contributor to several major projects for Dorling Kindersley.
Adrian Gilbert’s television appearances include The History Channel, Sky News, the BBC, ITV and Discovery Channel, He has contributed to The Sunday Times, the Guardian and several magazines including Q, Time Out and The Good Book Guide. He regularly gives talks and lectures.
Adrian Gilbert is married with three children and lives and works in Hertfordshire, England.