Research for the book was undertaken in Australia, the UK, Libya, Egypt, Israel (Palestine), Greece, Crete, Syria and New Guinea. The main sources were varied and included the National Archives of Australia; the Australian War Memorial; the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion Unit History; the 2/3 Machine Gun Battalion Unit History; 2/1 Anti-Tank History; 2/18th Brigade official history; 6th Division official history. A special thanks to the Tel Aviv based Mike Guy, a former Israeli paratrooper, for his expert guidance through his country and for his contacts throughout the Middle East. Again (as with my previous books on the Middle East: The Australian Light Horse and Bill the Bastard), advice from Susan Scollay on Syria and Lebanon was important for my research there.
Thanks also to those who granted interviews or who let me view data, photos, unpublished diaries, letters and files and other information. They included Major-General James Barry, Ed Bennetts (the son of Eddie and Gladys Bennetts), Ian Bartholemew, Gill Bozer, Betty Featherstone, Jack Grossman, Jane Hickey, Anthony Hill, Thos Hodgson, Carl Johnson, Richard Joslin, Leon Levin, George Manousakis, Tony Maylam, Ian Moody (son of Jim), Joan Moody (second wife of Jim), Leonie Moody (daughter of Jim), Aladin Rahemtula, Andrew Rule, former Ambassador to Syria, Tammam Sulaiman, Greg Thomas, Lyn Thomas, and Sarah Wells.
A special acknowledgement to publisher Sue Hines for her support over five books at publisher Allen & Unwin: Program for Puppet, Blood is a Stranger, Faces in the Rain, Bill the Bastard and Horrie the War Dog.
This book includes dramatisations and re-creations based on information from the above sources.