cott Oden is the author of the ancient Egyptian epic Men of Bronze. His lifelong fascination with history began in 1976, when his third-grade teacher showed his class slides from the traveling Tutankhamun exhibit. Oden went on to study history and English at Calhoun College and the University of Alabama (Huntsville) before leaving school to pursue his dream of becoming a writer. Over the years, he has worked the usual variety of odd jobs.