The Author Sven Hassel was born in 1917 in Fredensborg, a small village of Denmark. He was raised in the traditional scenario of a Danish working-class family. At the age of 14 Sven embarked in the merchant navy as a shipboy. In 1936 he did his military service, and the following year, due to the great unemplyment in Denmark, he joined the German army as a volunteer. Initially he served in the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and furthermore in the 11th and 27th "Panzerregiment". He fought in all the frontlines except in the North of Africa. Consequentialy Sven was wounded eight times. From 1945 to 1949 he was POW and was subject to Russian, American, French and Danish prisoner camps.

In that period Sven wrote his first book, THE LEGION OF THE DAMNED, which was published in Denmark in 1953 and it is the only novel in Denmark, which has been in sale continuously since then. In 1957 the author unexpectedly developed the rare disease of Caucasian fever, a sickness caught in the war, causing total paralysis. He was not cured until 1958. Since 1964 Sven Hassel lives in Barcelona, Spain. He is married (1951) to Dorthe Jensen and has a son, Michael (1952).

Sven Hassel has written 14 novels: The Legion of the Damned, Wheels of Terror (filmed), Comrades of War, Marchbattalion, Assignment Gestapo, Monte Cassino, Liquidate Paris, SS General, Reign of Hell, Blitzfreeze, The Bloody Road to Death, Court Martial, O.G.P.U. Prison, and The Commissar.

These novels have been translated into 17 languages and published in more than 50 countries. In Great Britain 15 million copies have been sold and worldwide more than 52.000.000.

Sven Hassel´s style is emphasized by the use of same characters throughout the series. They are altogether Porta, Tiny, the Legionnaire, the Old Man, Heide, Gregor Martin, Barcelona-Blom and Sven himself. Of these true persons, only Tiny, the Legionnaire, Heide, Gregor Martin and Sven survived the war.

Sven Hassel´s novels are antimilitarist. He writes about the small soldier, showing us the backside of the medals. Sven tells us about the men who do not provoke wars, but who have to fight them. All Hassel´s books are based on his own experience in WWII. He warns younger generations against war. Hassel stresses that war is the last solution of bad politicians.