Rj MacDonaldRJ MacDonald grew up in a small coastal fishing village in Scotland. He crossed the Atlantic and attended Cate School before studying both military history and social science at UC Berkeley, where his dissertation professor was Stephen Ambrose (Band f Brothers). After graduating with two BAs, he enlisted in the U.S. Marines as a reservist. Boot camp in San Diego went well for five days, until the drill instructors read his personnel file and discovered not only a 'Berkeley hippy freak infiltrating their Marine Corps, ' but also one with an accent. You speak funny, Private. Are you Russian? Meritoriously promoted twice, he served in a helicopter support squadron and as a marksmanship instructor before returning back to Scotland to complete two masters degrees and joining the Royal Air Force Reserves. You speak funny, sir. Are you Canadian? He deployed as an intelligence officer with a helicopter detachment during the war in Iraq, and then again to Cyprus during the conflict in Libya. Now a director within a small research company, he also serves on a volunteer lifeboat crew tasked with a 24/7 all-weather search and rescue role in some of the roughest seas in the world. He lives with his wife, three children, and a very cute but equally stupid cocker spaniel in the East Neuk of Fife, where he grew up. He can often be found tapping away on his laptop while waiting for various after-school clubs to finish. A Distant Field is his debut novel. Read More Read Less