My Story; ; Peter Cosgrove

'This book is my personal story, from boyhood to battlefield and beyond, written in my own words, reflecting on my life.'- Peter Cosgrove, 2006General Peter Cosgrove leapt into the public consciousness when he headed the 9000-strong multinational INTERFET force sent into restore order in East Timor. Through his straightforward approach to a tense situation, General Cosgrove instilled confidence. In his rise to Chief of the Army and then, to the top job as Chief of the Defence Force, the General cemented a reputation as a modern day Australian hero, a strong leader - and an all-round good bloke.A SOLDIER'S LIFE, written by the man himself, is packed with humorous anecdotes which counter the more serious detail of the General's role in the military through to his retirement in July 2005. He writes colourfully of his early years and we follow him from raw recruit to Vietnam.The book also gives insights into major recent events: 9/11, the Tampa Crisis, the liberation of East Timor and Iraq. General Cosgrove is not a man who flinches from telling it how it was. It is this unique personal perspective that makes this book a bestseller - and the ultimate Christmas gift for 2006.