Born in Edinburgh, John Arthur graduated from the University of Toronto before returning to Scotland to complete a PhD in physics at the University of Edinburgh. He spent most of his career specialising in electronic and microwave technology developments for communications and radar. In addition to a recent book on electromagnetic theory, he has published many papers. He is a trustee of the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation, a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Physics, and the Institute of Engineering and Technology, and a senior member of the IEEE (USA).