Michael John Claringbould, a resident of Australia and formerly from Papua New Guinea, was employed for many years as a Foreign Service officer in the Pacific islands and Southeast Asia. His fluency in translating Japanese military records and access to rare records not available to other authors have allowed him to bring fresh knowledge to the English-speaking world concerning various aspects of the air war in the Southwest Pacific. Michael has authored numerous books on Pacific War aviation. Amongst his various titles are three for Osprey in the Duel series.