John L. Bullion received his doctorate from the University of Texas-Austin in 1977. He was a member of the history department at Texas State University-San Marcos from 1974 to 1978. Since 1978 he has taught at the University of Missouri, serving as chair of the department from 1991 to 1996. The winner of numerous awards for his books, articles, and teaching, he is the author of two books on Lyndon B. Johnson; the prize winning study A Great and Necessary Measure: George Grenville and the Genesis of the Stamp Act, 1763-1765 (Missouri, 1982); and a collection of essays, George III, North America, and National Reform (2013).

Prelude to Disaster is the most comprehensive account of the fateful decision to tax American colonists. Unlike other studies, it emphasizes the central role of the young George III in the process. Central to this examination are George's principles of statecraft and government, his thoughts on pre- and post-war empires, his assessments of future relations with Britain's great antagonist France, his personality and its development before and after his accession to the throne, his friendship with the earl of Bute, and his attitudes toward domestic policies and politicians, especially George Grenville.