▁postal ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁Ant illes ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Post ▁Category : Ph il ately ▁of ▁the ▁Netherlands <0x0A> </s> ▁Ian ▁M off itt ▁( 3 1 ▁July ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁– ▁ 1 ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 0 ) ▁was ▁an ▁Australian ▁journalist ▁and ▁novel ist ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁best - s elling ▁novel ▁The ▁Ret re at ▁Of ▁Rad iance . ▁ ▁He ▁head ed ▁News ▁Limited ▁b ureau ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁was ▁an ▁out standing ▁feature ▁writer ▁for ▁The ▁Australian ▁newspaper ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁before ▁becoming ▁a ▁full - time ▁novel ist ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁ ▁History ▁Born ▁in ▁Sydney ▁on ▁ 3 1 ▁July ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁M off itt ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁T are e ▁on ▁the ▁north ▁coast ▁of ▁New ▁South ▁Wales , ▁He ▁worked ▁for ▁The ▁Sun ▁as ▁a ▁copy ▁boy ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁cad et ▁early ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁during ▁the ▁Chinese ▁Civil ▁War , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁staff ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁China ▁Mor ning ▁Post ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁his ▁experience ▁in ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁and ▁China ▁that ▁inspired ▁The ▁Ret re at ▁Of ▁Rad iance . ▁First ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁by ▁William ▁Collins , ▁The ▁Ret re at ▁Of ▁Rad iance ▁was ▁four ▁months