Born and raised in Africa, Peter Davies served as a territorial soldier in Rhodesia from 1963 to 1975. He saw action, and took part in captures and interrogation. This gave him insight into terrorist minds, many of which were successfully encouraged to 'turn' and fight alongside Rhodesia's soldiers against their former comrades.

Davies wrote his novel, Scatterlings of Africa, using his own recollections of how the war was fought, and how it affected Rhodesia and its people.