Norman Cohn was born in London in 1915, studied at the School and Christ Church Gresham's between 1933 and 1939, and after World War II taught at universities in England, Scotland, Ireland, America and Canada. In 1966 he became Professioral Felow at the University of Sussex and later director of international research project about the historical conditions that led to the emergence of persecution and genocide. From 1973 to 1980 he taught at Sussex and later professor emeritus and member of the British Academy. He died in Cambridge in 2007. Other works were: The Myth of the worldwide Jewish conspiracy (1970) and The familiar demons of Europe (1975).