Roald Dahl (1916–1990) lived a life of adventure before becoming a writer. Born in Llandaff, South Wales, he was educated in English schools, where he did poorly. His first job involved travel across Tanganyika (now Tanzania) in Africa. During World War II, he was a fighter pilot with the Royal Air Force until injuries forced him to take a desk job in Washington, DC. There he began writing stories for American magazines. He wrote one book for children during the war but did not concentrate on writing for young readers until he began writing for his own children. Dahl was married twice and had five children. His books include James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.