Frank Welsh was born in Washington, County Durham, and educated at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He has had a varied career in international business and banking, including service on the boards of nationalised industries and as a member of the Royal Commission on the National Health Service. His books include The Four Nations: A History of the United Kingdom, The Profit of the State, Uneasy City, Building the Trireme, A History of Hong Kong and A History of South Africa.