Alan Posener grew up in London, Kuala Lumpur and Berlin. He was the first boy at his school to wear his hair like the Beatles. This got him into trouble. Later, he was active in the radical students' movement. This got him into trouble too. After university, he taught English and German at a comprehensive school in Berlin. This kept him out of trouble for ten years. Feeling bored, he became the singer of a loud but unsuccessful rock band. Alan Posener has written books about William Shakespeare, John Lennon, John F.