Maurice Druon (1918-2009) was born in Paris, the natural son of the Russian actor Lazare Kessel of the Comédie Française, who committed suicide before recognizing him. He studied Literature and Political Science and his early interest in literature led him to collaborate in the press from the age of eighteen. After having fought at the beginning of the war, he left France in 1942 to join the ranks of De Gaulle together with his uncle, the writer Joseph Kessel, with whom he wrote the lyrics of the famous Song of the Partisans that was used as an anthem by the French Resistance.

In 1946 he resumed his literary career and in 1948 he received the Goncourt Prize for the novel The Great Families, the first part of the famous trilogy that he would complete with the novels The Fall of the Bodies and Appointment in Hell (which Libros del Asteroid published in 2009). . Among his extensive work, which consists of novels, essays and plays and children's literature, the successful series of historical novels The Cursed Kings also stands out, which he published between 1955 and 1977. At the end of 1966 he was elected member of the French Academy, of which he was perpetual secretary from 1985 until his resignation in 1999. From this institution he became one of the staunchest and most controversial defenders of the French language.

He also developed a brilliant political career: he was Minister of Culture between 1973 and 1974 when Georges Pompidou was President of the Republic, he held several diplomatic positions and was a deputy for Paris between 1978 and 1981. Among the innumerable distinctions he received throughout his career were appoint that of Commander of Arts and Letters. He died in Paris a few days before his 91st birthday.