Manohar Malgonkar was born in 1913 in a royal family, which had its roots in Goa. After graduating from Bombay University, he served in the Maratha Light Infantry. A big game hunter, civil servant, mine owner and farmer, he also stood for Parliament in the early seventies. Most of this activity was during momentous times of Indian history - the build-up to independence and its aftermath - often the setting for his works. The socio-historical milieu of those times forms the backdrops of his works, which are usually full of action and adventure, reflective, in some way, of his own life. His works span all genres, from novels to biographies to history books. They include Distant Drum, Combat of Shadows, The Princes, A Bend in the Ganges, The Devil's Wind, The Garland Keepers, Bombay Beware, Inside Goa, The Sea Hawk: Life and Battles of Kanhoji Angrey, Chhatrapatis of Kolhapur and Dropping Names. After retirement, Manohar settled on his farm at Barbusa near Belgaum.