For most of his life he has pursued a passion for ancient history, both political and military, which has motivated him research extensively on these subjects.But one single culture has captured his curiosity of Ancient Greece and soon became admiration for the birthplace of western civilization. This fascination has compelled him to travel to Greece, not for the cursory excursion of a tourist, but to walk on the same dusty roads, scramble over every toppled stone, tromp across the unchanged battlefields and stand upon Democracy's threshold.This well-spring of information, combined with his academic knowledge, inspired his writing. Almost twenty years ago he began with magazine articles focusing primarily on WWII armour and tactics. Since then, he has embraced historical fiction as a way to populate history with living, breathing personalities, and hopefully kindle this same interest in history with others.

His historical fiction books are well-researched, following the sequence of real events of ancient times. He typically writes his novels using the ancient terms and place names along with popular historical figures in his attempt to capture the spirit of the times.To enhance his readers' immersion in ancient times, he develops each character following the climax of the real historical events that changed the history of western civilization.As a historical novelist Jon Edward Martin's ancient fiction is characterized by a willingness to explore historical events from a different point of view and his ability to reveal the human side of historical exploits.

His life-long study and fascination of Ancient Greece and his travels throughout modern Greece inspired him to write In Kithairon’s Shadow, his first novel.

His subsequent historical novels were all set in ancient Greece; a novel about the Battle of Marathon, The Headlong God of War and an epic novel about the battle that changed the route of ancient Sparta’s history, Shades of Artemis.

• In Kithairon's Shadow: A Novel of Ancient Greece and the Persian War

(December 7, 2003)

In 480 B.C., Xerxes I, king of the Persian Empire, led a vast and uncountable army intent on the domination of Europe. Only a tiny collection of Greek city-states stood in his path.At Thermopylae the Persians annihilated a small holding force commanded by King Leonidas of Sparta, then quickly marched on to Athens, reducing the city to ruins.Outnumbered and beset by treachery, Sparta, Athens and their allies gathered near the town of Plataea for one final battle. The future of the whole world hung on the outcome.In Kithairon’s Shadow is the story of five men from ancient Greece and the parts they would play in determining their future, and maybe the future of Western civilization.

• Shades of Artemis: A Novel of Ancient Greece and the Spartan Brasidas

(February 13, 2005)

Shades of Artemis recounts the life of Brasidas, Spartas most audacious commander, from his upbringing in the Spartan military school called the Agoge to his induction into the ranks of the ancient worlds finest warriors. Overcoming petty jealousies and the politics of his own country, he finally rises to the rank of general and embarks on a daring mission to bring Athens to its knees and an end to the Peloponnesian War. With the death of Pericles, the politician Kleon becomes the architect of war policy in Athens, directing the strategy against Sparta. Thucydides, the Athenian general and chronicler of the conflict, bears witness to the brutality of ancient combat, the devastating plague that strikes his city, and the ambition of fellow Athenians that rely on war to sustain them. In the last quarter of the fifth century BC, these three men would meet in battle on the plains of northern Greece and determine the course of Western Civilizations first world war.

• The Headlong God of War: A Tale of Ancient Greece and the Battle of Marathon

(September 17, 2007)

September 11...a strike force has been launched against one of western civilization’s great centers of culture and trade. Funded by the most powerful man in the Middle East and carried out by his trusted lieutenants, this attack is intended to bring an end to western democracy This is not the attack on the Twin Towers or the Pentagon in the U.S., but the invasion of Europe by the Persian Empire in 490 B.C. On a narrow plain that sweeps down to the Bay of Marathon in Greece, citizens of the world’s first democracy will make a desperate stand against the greatest power of the ancient world.