The War Within is a complex, virtuoso analysis of an Australian life written by an unabashed and unrepentant author- an acidic dissertation on the roles of genes, environment and litany of trauma play in developing a person's character, and at the same time, a sauntering chronicle of social mores. In turn, we follow the life of the author as he comes to terms with male status anxiety- apparently inexhaustible in its capacity to cause suffering. Along the way, Tate examines the dark crevices of the male psyche as he battles inner demons from the Vietnam War and the unconditional love of his beautiful Christian Wife, Carole.Above all, this memoir is a celebration of the human condition, of a man with a can-do, cavalier attitude to life and is an outstanding contribution to Australia's rich heritage of memoir.