Based on the discovery of a family archive of approximately 100 letters, 50 hours of interviews, war diaries, official brigade diaries and other histories of the period, Journey to Tobruk traces the life journey of genuine war hero and 'Rat of Tobruk' John Murray. Author Louise Austin - Murray's niece - makes extensive use throughout the story of Murray's letters to his mother, with whom he was very close and kept a loyal and lifelong correspondence. Murray is an eloquent letter writer, and his laconic, laidback tone in times of hardship is definitively Australian. These personal messages add a wonderful dimension of immediacy and humanity to the story.