Jonathan was born in Maryland and lived in the Mojave Desert, Cocoa Beach and St. Thomas, and has traveled extensively in Europe, Asia and Latin America. He served on active duty in the US Navy diesel submarine USS Sabalo (SS 302), commissioned in 1945 and similar to the U-154. In St. Thomas, he roamed the beaches and rocks along the coast and swam the tropical seas. He's lurked behind the scenes in nuclear submarines, the Rome Opera and the Sewers of Paris. His professional expertise includes naval architecture, computer-aided design and human factors. Besides writing, his hobbies are learning the fiddle and teaching martial arts.