Aesop was a fabulist or story teller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as Aesop's Fables. Although his existence remains uncertain and (if they ever existed) no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day. Many of the tales are characterized by animals and inanimate objects that speak, solve problems, and generally have human characteristics.
Russell Ash went to Durham University to study Geography and Anthropology before starting work in publishing in 1967. Since then he has worked on a huge number of books, including writing and contributing to over 100 non-fiction titles such as The Top Ten of Everything. Russell has a daughter and two sons, and lives with his wife Caroline in Lewes, East Sussex.