Michael Ibbotson is a professor of neuroscience and biomedical engineering at the University of Melbourne and an ex-infantryman. His other academic interest is military history and he revelled at the opportunity to write a book based on the memories of his uncle, who was a member of the Guards Armoured Division in the Second World War. With his academic training, he has created an account through the use of interviews, archival research and technical knowledge that portrays a unique soldier’s perspective on well-known battles.