Brigadier Allan Lawrence Mallinson (born 6 February 1949) is an English author and retired British Army officer. Mallinson is best known for writing a series of novels chronicling the (fictional) life of Matthew Hervey, an officer serving in the (fictional) British 6th Light Dragoons from the late Napoleonic Wars through subsequent colonial conflicts in India, North America and South Africa. Early life Mallinson was born on 6 February 1949 in Yorkshire, England, to Alfred and Edith Mallinson. From 1966, he trained for the Anglican priesthood at St Chad's College in Durham. Military career Mallinson took a break from his theological studies to join the Army in 1969, joining the King's Own Royal Border Regiment as a Second Lieutenant on probation, and served with the infantry in Cyprus, Malaysia, Northern Ireland and Germany. He was confirmed as a Second Lieutenant in 1970, promoted to Lieutenant on 11 February 1971, and promoted to Captain on 11 August 1975, and acting Major on 1 September 1979.. He transferred to the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) on 28 October 1980, and was promoted to substantive Major on 30 September 1981. He served in Whitehall, Norway, Cyprus and again in Germany. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 31 December 1988 (with seniority from 30 June 1988), commanding his Regiment from 1988 to 1991. He was promoted to acting Colonel on 1 December 1992, and to substantive rank on 30 June 1993 and then to Brigadier on 1 September 1999. His last Army appointment was as Military Attaché at the British Embassy, Rome. He retired from active service on 16 March 2004. Matthew Hervey series Beginning as a Cornet at Waterloo, Matthew Hervey of the 6th Light Dragoons, and son of the vicar of Horningsham finds himself in many of the colonial military actions thereafter, including Ireland, Canada, India, South Africa, Burma and the Balkans. His climb through the ranks is neither fast nor easy, as the son of a vicar does not have the private means to readily buy promotion. His romantic life is also more turbulent than might be expected of a vicar's son. Despite his personal trials he makes a very human effort to remain a man of honor, and the adversities he faces change him perceptively as a character throughout the series. As the impressionable cornet is tried and tested his touchstone remains his fellow dragoons, to several of whom