I guess that's when the idea was born," says Sinclair of his sensible and accessible new guide to parenthood, Commando Dad. The funny thing is, my friend and I know each other from the Royal Marines, where we both served as young Commandos. Now is a good time to have a trooper debrief, ask about what they’re up too and find out more about their world, if it’s a game then ask them to show you how they play it, a book? Neil Sinclair’s narrative is witty and engaging, and the book is written in a military style and uses army terms throughout. I have read it from start to finish in preparation and just feel there are better books out there for this purpose.

Prepare base camp for your baby trooper’s arrival Survive the first 24 hours Establish feeding and sleeping routines Pack a survival kit for everything from light missions to long-term deployments Transport the troops successfully on manoeuvres Treat ailments and injuries with basic first-aid training Keep base camp tidy and square away tasks along the way Maintain morale in the ranks And much, much more.The chapter “The Advance Party: Preparing Base Camp” is so helpful for expectant fathers and for me personally, really built my confidence and made me feel that I am doing things right. All of the material is visually accessible and the “Commando Dad Top Tips” are great for quick reference. Written by ex-Commando and dad of three Neil Sinclair, this manual will teach you, in no-nonsense terms, all the practical skills you need to be a top-ranking parent.

Mind Infoline – Provides information on a range of mental health topics to support people in their own area from 9:00am to 6:00pm, Monday to Friday. This may not be to everyone's taste, but Sinclair is sanguine: "For me, a new dad is a new dad, whether he's from a council estate or Kensington. My favourite feature of this book is the way Sinclair has used his militaristic language and applied it to fatherhood. It is particularly refreshing that Sinclair approaches all aspects of parenting as a joint venture between two parents, with the emphasis on shared responsibility and mutual support.Dads, we are living through challenging and unpredictable times; the coronavirus pandemic has completely changed what we consider normal.