Dr. David Coombes is a Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry at the University of Queensland. A graduate of the Flinders University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide, David received his PhD from the University of Sydney.

He is the author of three other books including Crossing the Wire: the untold stories of Australian POWs in battle and captivity during WWI (Big Sky Publishing, 2011) - a book which stimulated his further interest in the battles of Bullecourt.

David is now researching and writing Bravery Was Not Enough: how the AIF responded to technological changes on the Western Front, with the assistance of a grant from the Australian Army History Unit. Dr Coombes currently lives in Queensland with his beloved cross kelpie "Tally".