John Ellis was born in Bradford and educated at the Universities of Sussex and Manchester. He was a lecturer in the latter’s department of Military Studies. His books include The Sharps End: The Fighting Man in World War II; The Social History of the Machine Gun (both available in Pimlico); Eye-Deep in Hell, an account of trench life in the Great War; Cassino: The Hollow Victory; and Brute Force: Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War.
Books in order of publication:
| The Social History of the Machine Gun | 1975 |
| The Sharp End: The Fighting Man in World War II | 1980 |
| Cassino: The Hollow Victory: The Battle for Rome January-June 1944 | 1984 |
| Eye-Deep In Hell: Trench Warfare In World War I | 1989 |
| Brute Force: Allied Strategy And Tactics In Th |