Dr Peter Stanley was appointed Director of the Centre for Historical Research in early 2007. He is best known as a military social historian and was principal historian at the Australian War Memorial for 20 years.

Peter's publications include Tarakan: an Australian Tragedy and Quinn's Post, Anzac, Gallipoli. He has also written extensively on British imperial history, through The Remote Garrison and White Mutiny, and on medical history in For Fear of Pain: British Surgery 1790-1850.

Peter has made many contributions to historical interpretation in print and broadcast media, including the television series Revealing Gallipoli.

His future research projects include books looking at 20th century Australia through a study of the lives of a group of Great War soldiers at Mont St Quentin, ventures into the social history of migration and the lives of people in South Australia, and a study of the bushman-storyteller Bill Harney.

Peter's 19th book, Invading Australia: Japan and the Battle for Australia, 1942, is due to be published by Penguin in July 2008.