Harold Lamb

American writer and novelist Harold Lamb was born in Alpine, NJ, in 1892. From birth he had problems with his eyes, nose and throat, making it difficult for him to see, smell and speak, and it wasn't until he was in his 20s that he was "fully functional", though he remained uncomfortable among groups of people, or even in crowds, for the rest of his life. He attended New York's Columbia University, and largely because of his physical problems he spent much of his off-time in the university library. It was there he found himself fascinated by the history of the people and cultures of Asia. He began writing stories about the area and the people and some were published in the Columbia literary magazine. He was eventually awarded the Bunner Medal in American literature which, as he admitted, "saved me from dismissal". After graduation he went to work in the publishing industry, at first for a motor-sports magazine and then as a financial statistician for "The New York Times", while still pursuing his writing. Several of his stories were published in "Adventure" magazine.

He joined the US Army in 1917, during World War I, but was not sent overseas. He is probably best known for his novels about such historical figures as Genghis Khan and Tamerlane. He is renowned for his meticulous research--he was once awarded a medal for scientific research by the government of Persia--and his attention to detail and authenticity (made easier by the fact that he was fluent in Arabic and Chinese).

He contributed to the screenplays of such films as The Crusades (1935), The Plainsman (1936) and Samson and Delilah (1949).