Jimmy Burns Maranon was born in Madrid in 1953 of Anglo-Spanish parents. His mother, Mabel, was the daughter of the doctor and writer Gregorio Maranon and his father, Tom Burns, was a publisher, journalist and diplomat. Jimmy Burns was a journalist for the Financial Times for thirty years, working as a foreign correspondent and specialist in intelligence. He is now a full time author and freelance journalist, with expertise in security, espionage, Latin America and Spanish football among other things.
 His previous books include The Land That Lost Its Heroes, winner of the Somerset Maugham prize for non-fiction and the internationally acclaimed Hand Of God: The Life Of Diego Maradona.
 Jimmy Burns' latest book, Papa Spy, is out now.