John Matthews has made a lifetime study of the legends of King Arthur, and more recently of the history of piracy. His list of publications totals over 150, including the New York Times bestselling Pirates. He has acted as an advisor on several big budget movies, including King Arthur, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Prince of Persia. His work on the educational DVD to accompany King Arthur won a BAFTA award.

John Howe was born in 1957 in Vancouver, Canada. After finishing High School, he moved to France in 1976, where he attended the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs in Strasbourg, gaining a Diploma in Illustration. Aside from illustrating jackets for numerous Tolkien and other fantasy works he has also illustrated many children's books. He lives in Switzerland with his wife and their son.