Alan Davidson (1924-2003) was a British diplomat who also established a reputation as a fine writer about food but also about its lore, ethnography and history. While on assignment in Tunis his wife was confused by the fish which were available there. Her husband undertook to compile a list of the various fish. He then embarked on his writing career in earnest. This resulted in two masterpieces: North Atlantic Seafood and The Oxford Companion to Food.