Robert Van Gulik

Robert van Gulik (1910-1967) was born in the Netherlands. He was educated at the Universities of Leyden and Utrecht and served in the Dutch diplomatic service in China and Japan for many years. His interest in Asian languages and rt led him to the discovery of Chinese detective novels and to the historical Judge Dee, who played an important role in the governance of Ming Dynasty China and inspired this novel. After translating Dee Goong An, van Gulik continued the adventures of Judge Dee in a number of original novels and stories.