It remains a great surprise to me, and no doubt a number (if not all) of my friends and family, that I should be the author of a book on insurance law. There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that it would never have come to pass without the support and encouragement of Professor Rob Merkin QC. It was Rob who first encouraged me to attend his class on marine insurance when I was studying for a master’s degree at the University of Exeter, and it was he who first suggested I should follow this up with a PhD. His advice, guidance and support in the preparation of the book has been fundamental to its evolution. Any expression of appreciation must inevitably fall short of what is merited. I am also grateful for the assistance provided to me in relation to s54 of the Australian Insurance Contracts Act by Peter Mann, author of Mann’s Annotated Insurance Contracts Act and the guru on the ICA. Similarly Fred Hawke also provided me with his time and invaluable insights into the operation of s54. I am, of course, also indebted to an array of learned authors on insurance law whose work precedes this book. Of these I have relied most heavily on the work of Professor Bariş Soyer and in particular successive editions of his work, Warranties in Marine Insurance. Special mention should also be given to the work of Ozlem Gurses. On a personal level I will forever be grateful to my son Matt for being such a huge part of my life and for tolerating his father’s gradual re-acquaintance with law after a 35-year gap.