Born in Scarborough and raised near Boston Mills, Ontario, Major Chris Hand joined the Canadian Forces in 1981 and attended the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, graduating in 1986 with a BA in History. In 2002, Major Hand completed studies at Canadian Forces Command and Staff College in Toronto and a MA in History from the University of New Brunswick. The Siege of Fort Beauséjour, 1755, is based on his master's thesis, which he completed while serving at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown. Major Hand has had a number of overseas postings, including postings in Cypress, Bosnia, Ethiopia and Eritrea. He is now the Canadian Exchange Officer with the British Army in Land Warfare Centre, in Warminster, Wiltshire UK. He has two children, Sarah and William.