Andrew Mango was born in Istanbul, Turkey on June 14, 1926. During World War II, he got a job as a translator in the press office of the British Embassy in Ankara. He received a doctorate in Persian literature from London University's School of Oriental and African Studies. He worked at Bush House, then home to BBC World Service radio, initially for the Turkish and French language sections before becoming head of the South East European Service until he retired in 1986. He wrote several books on Turkey including Atat�rk and From the Sultan to Atat�rk. He died on July 7, 2014 at the age of 88.