Richard Harding is a retired RAF Group Captain with 27 years' service in the UK and overseas.Among his appointments was command of RAF Uxbridge in the early 2000s - a tour that gave him an intimate knowledge of, and abiding affection for, the Battle of Britain Bunker, from which RAF Fighter Command's No. 11 Group directed the air battle of 1940. Much of his novel is set there. The highlight of his command was welcoming Geoffrey Wellum, the youngest Spitfire pilot to fly in the Battle of Britain, on his first ever visit to the Bunker from which his own air battle had been directed - an emotional experience for them both! - and one commemorated by a treasured, signed copy of Wellum's classic memoir First Light. After retiring, Richard returned to the Bunker as a volunteer.A military historian, Richard holds a BA (Hons) in History from the University of Warwick, an MA in Defence Studies from King's College London, and an MBA from Cranfield University. His writing includes articles for Britain at War magazine and a previous book, From Shankly to Slot. He lives in Buckinghamshire.In the Wake of Fire is his first novel.