Barry Kukovich/ Biography

Barry Kukovich is a native of western Pennsylvania and from his early years he was greatly influenced by the wilderness regions of Appalachia and New England, particularly their white water rivers and mountain forests. He is a graduate of Duquesne University and has a graduate degree from Seton Hall University.

In his professional career, he was a member of a National Red Cross disaster team. Among the many crises in which he served, he considers the 1977 Johnstown Flood and the 1979 3-Mile Island nuclear disaster as the most challenging events of his life. After the Red Cross, he entered a communications career with the utility industry, largely involved with crisis planning.

Throughout his life, his avocation has been martial arts, and this study remains as one of his greatest passions along with his love of history. He drew heavily on his historical studies of warfare and ancient religion to write his first novel, The Church of Wolves, which is set during World War I and based on a true incident. He and his wife Mary reside in Pittsburgh, PA.