William Lindesay has lived in China for over 30 years, dedicating his life to the exploration, research, and preservation of the Great Wall. He has authored 10 books on the subject, published by major houses including Harvard University Press, Oxford University Press and Penguin Viking. He has received several of China’s highest honors awarded to foreigners, including "The Friendship Award" (1998) and the Beijing Great Wall Friendship Award (2008). He was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006, and currently serves as an honorary senior research fellow at the University of Liverpool.