Biography:
David Carroll Eddings was born on the 7th July, 1931 in Spokane, Washington. He grew up around Seattle before moving to Portland, Oregon to do his Bachelor of Arts at Reed College, where he apparently wrote a novel for his thesis.
Eddings was drafted into the army in 1954 and sent to Germany, which he apparently enjoyed, due to being able to speak German and carry a machine gun. He was also able to travel around Europe, and was paid for it. On his return, the G.I. Bill paid for his Masters at the University of Washington, which he completed in 1961.
Eddings tried his hand at many jobs at this time, ranging from grocery store clerk to buyer for the Boeing company. He married his girlfriend Leigh, and took up teaching college English. Finally, after he had quit teaching, Leigh and him moved to Denver where he wrote his first novel, High Hunt, in 1973.
Starting life as a map on a piece of paper, The Belgariad would prove to be Eddings' big break. Published in 1982, the story was remarkably popular, and each book in the series became a bestseller. This trend continued with The Mallorean, the first book of which was published in 1988. The next series, The Elenium, was set on a different world to the previous two, and this was followed by The Tamuli.
Eddings has revisited The Belgariad/Mallorean universe on three recent occasions, with the publication of Belgarath the Sorceror, Polgara the Sorceress, and The Rivan Codex. It was during this period that he started putting his wife's name on his books as co-writer. His last book, The Redemption of Althalus, was a departure from his series format and is set in a new universe.
Bibliography:
The Belgariad
The Mallorean
The Elenium
The Tamuli
Single Books
Commentary
David Eddings writes some of the greatest stories I have ever read. I do not rate him as A Great Author; his plots are usually carbon copies of each other, with holes so big you could fit a bus through, and he is unashamedly sentimental. But his characters are just so damn good. He creates the most fantastic little worlds, and populates them with the craziest, most wonderful people and things before inviting you in to join him.
I am almost ashamed to say that my greatest fear on this earth is that Mr. David Eddings dies before he writes another series.
Bibliography taken from http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/authors/David_Eddings.htm