Richard George Adams (9 May 1920 - 24 December 2016)[2] was an English novelist whose works include Watership Down, Maia, Shardik and The Plague Dogs. He studied modern history at Oxford before serving in the British Army during World War II. After completing his studies, he joined the British Civil Service. In 1974, two years after Watership Down was published, Adams became a full-time author.