Michael Pryles AO PBM, is an international lawyer and arbitrator. He lives in Melbourne but his work takes him to many countries. He has held senior appointments with the United Nations, various universities and law firms, international courts of arbitration and the Australian Law Reform Commission. In the early 1990s he was a senior legal advisor to the Kennett-Stockdale government on the restructure and privatisations of government owned industries. After a career devoted to the law and writing several books on technical legal subjects Michael has found the courage to write on other subjects. His first work builds on his interest as an amateur historian and explores the remarkable life of his maternal grandfather.