The author was born in South Africa and raised during the struggle against apartheid and Nelson Mandela's capture, trial, and imprisonment on Robben Island. He went to Grey College, Bloemfontein, before mandatory military service during the height of the Cold War and the ANC’s armed struggle, inspired by its first commander-in-chief, Nelson Mandela.

With degrees in history (BA) and theology (BTh), and three law degrees (LLB, LLM, & JD), the author was admitted as an advocate of the Supreme Court of South Africa and as a Member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court, and practiced law in the United States for thirty years. He loves a good book and a glass of wine, the crash of surf on a deserted beach, the quiet solitude of a mountain stream, and lives with his wife and family in Saint Paul, Minnesota.