This is the story of the most important and influential Australian Army officer in the second half of the 20th century. For eight tumultuous years, firstly as Chief of the General Staff (1963-66) and then as Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee until 1970, General Sir John Wilton was responsible for the conduct of Australia's Vietnam War.

   He was the first Australian Army officer after Sir Thomas Blamey to be promoted to the rank of full general. He operated at the high strategic command level, dealing closely with Prime Ministers.

    Few Australian Army officers of his era knew as much about Asia as Wilton. Beginning with training in India and operations on the Burma-China border in the 1930s, he saw service in Syria, New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaya, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. This study shows how Wilton helped shape Australia's defence policies throughout the dangerous period of the Cold War.

     To many, he was an unsmiling professional soldier but privately, he was a man of feeling and compassion

-- he had to balance the responsibilities to his army with the requirements of Government.