John Nichol is an author, broadcaster and retired Royal Air Force officer with 15 years experience in the force. In 1991, during his first mission, he was shot down and captured by Iraqi forces. Upon his release at the end of the Gulf War, he returned to active duty as part of the UN force to maintain peace in Bosnia. John has contributed to several publications with British newspapers including The Times, The

Mail on Sunday and The Guardian. He has also been a consultant and presenter for Newsnight, BBC News, CNN, World in Action, ITN, Sky News and Cutting Edge. John is the author of 16 books including the Sunday Times best-seller Tornado Down which describes his ordeal as a prisoner-of-war in Iraq. John is a patron of the British Ex-service Wheelchair Sports Association. He is also a very poor golfer.