Eric J. Graham was born in Ayrshire, Scotland and studied Scottish and Maritime History at Strathclyde and Exeter Universities respectively. His thesis provided the core of his book A Maritime History of Scotland (1650-1790). He is widely published in journals and is a regular reviewer for the International Journal of Maritime History Review as well as the Historical Associate for Lloyd's Register of Shipping, an adviser to Historical Scotland on the Edinburgh Castle Vaults Exhibition and a researcher for the Du Bois Institute (Harvard) Slavery Database. He is currently an honorary Post-Doctoral Fellow of Edinburgh University.