This is a complex, virtuoso analysis of an Australian life written by an unabashed and unrepentant author-an acidic dissection of the role that genes and environment have in developing a person's character, as well as a sauntering chronicle of social analysis.

In turn, we follow the life of the author as he comes to terms with being a disaffected youth, a patriotic but naive infantryman in the Vietnam War, and an alienated, disabled veteran struggling 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 and the unconditional love of his beautiful Christian wife, Carole.

Above all, this memoir is a celebration of the human condition and of a man with a can-do, cavalier attitude to life and his desire to rise above mediocrity.

An outstanding contribution to Australia's rich heritage of memoir.