Terry Waite was born in Cheshire in 1939, the son of a village policeman. He worked with the Anglican Church in Uganda, then in Rome, before becoming a member of the Archbishop of Canterbury's staff. He negotiated the release of many hostages in Iran, Libya and Lebanon. Contrary to popular belief he is not a clergyman. While negotiating the release of captives in Beirut he was taken hostage and spent 1,763 days in captivity, over four years of which were in solitary confinement. Since his release in November 1991, he has dedicated himself to study, writing, lecturing, and humanitarian activities. He is President of Emmaus UK, an international charity working with homeless people, founder President of Hostage, a charity providing support for hostages and their families, and joint founder of YCare, a development agency for young people. Awarded the MBE in 1983 and CBE in 1992, he holds many honorary doctorates both in the UK and overseas. He continues to travel widely and is much sought after as a public speaker. He is the author of three previous books: Taken on Trust, Footfalls in Memory and Travels with a Primate. The Voyage of The Golden Handshake is his first novel.