Born and raised in Scotland, Iain McAndrew’s interest in the First World War began with photographs of his mother’s two uncles, both of whom were killed during the conflict, leaving behind letters and personal belongings. His fascination deepened after reading works such as Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front and Lyn MacDonald’s Somme and They Called It Passchendaele, and from watching classic films including Peter Weir’s Gallipoli.

Like his main character, Michael Weir (no relation to Peter), Iain’s initial curiosity grew into an extensive personal research project into his family’s experiences during the Great War.

Over many years, the wealth of information he uncovered formed the basis of a detailed historical account of the real experiences of his grandfather, Walter Prentice, and his brothers Tom and Alex, between June 1914 and June 1919. Drawing on letters, battalion war diaries, family recollections, and contemporary newspaper reports, this work remains unpublished at present.

Iain has long enjoyed books and films with a time‑travel element, and the “what if…?” questions they pose. This interest led him to consider a question that can never truly be answered: what might have happened if one small thing had occurred differently, if a single decision had changed? That thought naturally returned him to the fate of his great‑uncles during the First World War - and the idea for the Broken Lines series was born.

Beyond the research that inspired his novels, Iain has explored his wider family history, discovering that several relatives served in many theatres of the Great War, including France, Belgium, Gallipoli and Salonika.

Iain now lives in Australia with his wife and grown‑up family. Outside writing and historical research, his interests include scuba diving - he is a qualified Open Water Scuba Instructor - and sports and theatre photography. He has yet to find a way to incorporate these passions into his books. Perhaps one day.