'Martin Louis Alan Gompertz | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 23, 1886 India |
| Died | 29 September 1951 (aged 65) |
| Occupation | Novelist, writer, soldier |
| Nationality | British |
| Period | 20th century |
| Genre | Adventure, sci-fi |
| Subject | India, Asia |
| Notable works | Harilek, The Three R's |
Martin Louis Alan Gompertz (February 23, 1886 – September 29, 1951)[1] was a British soldier and writer, born in India, also known by the pseudonym of 'Ganpat', which was the nearest his Indian troops could get to pronouncing 'Gompertz'. Ganpat is another name for the elephant god Ganesh. He started his writing career with articles for Blackwood's Magazine on his service in East Africa during the First World War. He wrote many adventure stories in the style of H. Rider Haggard, though most of Ganpat's stories are set in the Himalayas. He was an Anglo Indian soldier, and his stories reflect his military and frontier background. He retired in 1939 with the rank of Brigadier,[2] ending his days in the town of Chagford, on the edge of Dartmoor, where he could pursue his passion for fishing.