Alan P. Landau

 

 

About Alan

 

Alan Landau doesn’t just research history,

he lived through chapters of it.

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Born in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe) in 1959, Alan came of age against the backdrop of a nation in turmoil. In 1978, during the height of the Rhodesian Bush War, he joined the British South Africa Police (BSAP) - the storied force whose origins and exploits later inspired Langbourne’s Rebellion and Langbourne’s Empire.

 

Stationed primarily in Bulawayo, the very setting where much of the Langbourne saga unfolds, Alan gained a rare, firsthand appreciation for the grit, dust, and raw enterprise of southern Africa’s formative years. Following a brief period with the newly established Zimbabwe Republic Police after the war concluded in 1980, he transitioned to civilian enterprise.

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Over the next two decades, Alan immersed himself in Zimbabwe’s commercial world, spending five years in the legendary tobacco industry before taking the helm of his family’s business empire. His ventures spanned travel, tourism, hospitality, property, finance, and retail - practical experience in high-stakes trade that directly infuses the entrepreneurial spirit of his novels.

 

Outside the boardroom, he dedicated years to Rotary International, championing the Rotary Youth Exchange Program.

In 2001, Alan relocated to Brisbane, Australia, successfully building and operating a retail franchise alongside his late wife and two children.

 

Selling the enterprise in 2012 opened the door to semi-retirement and a fresh chapter.

 

After fate introduced him to Sharon, the Australian lady living next door who later became his wife, Alan turned his focus to full-time storytelling, thanks to Sharon's encouragement and persistence.

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Today, Alan writes historical adventures from Queensland’s coast, punctuated by regular safaris back to southern Africa, avid birdwatching, and worldwide travel with Sharon.