Jon Latimer

Jonathan David Latimer (1964 – 4 January 2009) was an historian and writer based in Wales. His books include Operation Compass 1940 (Osprey, 2000), Tobruk 1941 (Osprey, 2001), Deception in War (John Murray, 2001), Alamein (John Murray, 2002), Burma: The Forgotten War (John Murray, 2004) and 1812: War with America (Harvard University Press, 2007) which won a Distinguished Book Award from the Society for Military History and was shortlisted for the George Washington Book Prize. However it came under sharp attack from Professor Donald Hickey:
 * Latimer relied heavily on American sources and ignored a great many significant British sources. As a result, despite his claims to the contrary, he presented very little on the British side of the story.  A host of other problems render this book unreliable anyway.  It is filled with factual errors; many sources are cited that were never consulted; and, most alarming, there is evidence of considerable plagiarism.  Thus, the story from the British perspective remains untold.

Born in Prestatyn, Wales Latimer was educated at Christleton County High School, Chester. He studied for a geography degree at University College, Swansea but switched course to graduate in oceanography. He worked as an oceanographer until becoming a full-time writer in 1997.

In 2003 he became an honorary research fellow at his alma mater (by this time Swansea University) and was appointed as a part-time lecturer in History at on the BA (Hons) degree scheme 'War and Society'. He was also a guest lecturer at the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Shrivenham.

Latimer was an enthusiastic part-time soldier. Originally enlisting as a sapper in the Royal Monmouthshire (Militia), he was commissioned in 1986 into the 3rd Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers, Territorial Army. He spent periods attached to regular battalions in Northern Ireland (1989), Australia (1991–2) and as an intelligence officer (1992–3).

Latimer died following a heart attack in January 2009. His book, Buccaneers of the Caribbean: How Piracy Forged an Empire was published posthumously in April 2009.