Michael spent his formative years in Papua New Guinea in the 1960s, during which he became fascinated by the many WWII aircraft wrecks which still lie around the country. Michael has served widely overseas as an Australian diplomat, including in South East Asia and throughout the South Pacific where he had the fortune to return to Papua New Guinea for three years commencing in 2003. Michael has authored and illustrated various books on Pacific War aviation, including more than thirty Avonmore Books titles and five Osprey titles. His history of the Tainan Naval Air Group in New Guinea, Eagles of the Southern Sky, received worldwide acclaim as the first English-language history of a Japanese fighter unit, and was translated into Japanese. An executive member of Pacific Air War History Associates, Michael holds a pilot license and PG4 paraglider rating. He continues to develop his skills as a digital 3D aviation artist, using 3DS MAX, Vray and Photoshop to attain markings accuracy.