Freer was born and educated in
South Africa, where he grew up on the outskirts of a city next to a 500-acre nature preserve of coastal bush. His father worked as a member on a commercial fishing boat on weekends. After a stint in boarding school, where he learned "smoking, strong drink and pursuit of wild women", he was conscripted at the age of 17 into the
South African Defence Force and deployed to the Angolan border as a medic (his last choice). Recalling the experience, he noted, "My choices were five years in jail, leave the country, or go in for a year. I'm a strong swimmer, but the Atlantic seemed too large...." Dave has his own forum at Baen's Bar, a website, His
literary agent in the United States is the OnyxHawk agency. ==Awards==