Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.356.non-fictionxamines the German Luftwaffe's air raid on Coventry, England, on November 14, 1940, and its impact and precedent as a new kind of air warfare.world war 1939-1945 - aerial operations - germany, world war 1939-1945 - coventry

Index, maps, ill, p.239.non-fictionMajor-General Urquhart commanded the 1st British Airborne Division in Operation Market Garden, the greatest airbone assault of World War II, the struggle to capture Arnhem and win control of the bridge across the lower Rhine. The story of the 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem involved not only an Airborne Corps of three Divisions but also the bulk of the British 2nd Army in Europe. Gen. Urquhart has told the story of those fateful nine days clearly, frankly and, despite the terrible circumstances, not without humour. great britain - army - 1st airborne division, battle of arnhem 1944

Index, bibliography, maps, p.766.non-fictionA broad summary of the battles on both the Western and Eastern fronts for the liberation of Europe in 1944-1945world war 1939-1945 - campaigns france, world war 1939-1945 - campaigns - eastern europe

Index, ill, p.385.non-fictionA history of the Luftwaffe through the eyes of one of its aces, Adolf Galland. world war 1939-1945 - personal narratives - germany, world war 1939-1945 - aerial operations - germany

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.266.non-fictionStephen Bungay's Alamein is a trenchant re-examination of an event now cloaked in myth. Though the propaganda of the time focused on personalities, this was a desert war, he reveals, determined largely by logistics. In a conflict that for two years had ebbed and flowed along the North African littoral, victory was always going to go to the side that mastered its supply lines - in Britain's case not least by withstanding the epic siege of Malta. He also gets beyond the polemics and eulogies of many past writers in re-assessing Alamein's chief protaganists, Montgomery and Rommel, to show how it was precisely the most unattractive side of Montgomery's character that was needed to transform the Eighth Army into a force capable of fighting a battle it could win.battle of alamein - 1942, world war 1939-1945 - campaigns - north africa

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.580.non-fictionPeter FitzSimons, Australia's most beloved popular historian, focuses on one of the seminal moments in Australian history: the Battle of tobruk in 1941, in which more than 15 000 Australian troops - backed by British artillery - fought in excruciating desert heat through eight long months, against Adolf Hitler's formidable Afrika Korps. During the dark heart of World War II, when Hitler turned his attention to conquering North Africa, a distracted and far-fl ung Allied force could not give its all to the defence of Libya. So the job was left to the roughest, toughest bunch that could be mustered: the Australian Imperial Force. the AIF's defence of the harbour city of tobruk against the Afrika Korps' armoured division is not only the stuff of Australian legend, it is one of the great battles of all time, as against the might of General Rommel and his Panzers, the Australians relied on one factor in particular to give them the necessary strength against the enemy: mateship. Drawing on extensive source material - including diaries and letters, many never published before - this extraordinary book, written in Peter FitzSimons' highly readable style, is the definitive account of this remarkable chapter in Australia's historyworld war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – north africa, siege of tobruk

Index, bibliography, ill, maps, p.224.non-fictionTimothy Hall tells the real story of Tobruk, the follies and bravery, the unexpected humaneness of both sides, the mutual respect of opposing armies locked in siege warfare and their common enemy - the North African desert.world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – north africa, siege of tobruk

Index, bibliography, maps, p.96.non-fictionThe North African campaign has been studied in detail over the years but much of the study has been dedicated to the battles between the British Eighth Army and Rommel's Afrika Korps. There has been little serious study of Wavell's campaign against Italian forces in 1940-41, nor of the role played by the Australian Sixth Division.world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – north africa, libya - campaigns - 1940-1941

Index, maps, p.414.non-fictionMarch 1941. The Allied forces have suffered one brutal defeat after another. For Hitler's forces the conquest of Egypt, and the rich oil fields of the Middle East, lie next on the horizon. All that stand in their way are a few Australian brigades defending a town called Tobruk. For eight months the Australian Imperial Forces defended the North African coastal fortress, battling almost unbeatable odds in the dust and the heat of the Libran desert. Under the command of General Morshead, the troops used unorthodox methods and sheer grit to withstand the superior might of General Rommel's elite 'Afrika Korpsworld war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – north africa, siege of tobruk 1941

Index, bibliography, ill, p.478.non-fictionIn Crisis in the Pacific acclaimed historian Gerald Astor draws on the raw experiences of marines, sailors, soldiers and airmen under fire - from generals and admirals to correspondents, line officers and enlisted men on both sides of the battle lines - to present a view of the critical struggle for the Philippines, the keystone to Japanese domination of the Pacific and to ultimate Allied victory. These accounts, many published here for the first time, are dramatic and graphic, brutal and awe-inspiring. Ranging from the diplomatic and nursing corps' experience of the Japanese conquest and occupation of the islands, to the Bataan death march and first-hand accounts of war crimes inflicted by the Japanese on prisoners of war, to the final push for the hills of Mindanao, Crisis in the Pacific is the first complete history, told in the words of the men and women who were there, of one of the most crucial battlegrounds of World War II.world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – phillipines, world war 1939 – 1945 – personal narratives

Index, ill, maps, p.267.non-fictionA regimental history of the 39th battalion from 1941 to its disbandment in 1943 and its participation in the Kokoda campaignworld war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – new guinea, world war 1939-1945 - regimental histories - australia

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.281.non-fictionPeter Brune's account of the Kokoda campaign in 1942world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – new guinea, kokoda track

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.691.non-fictionIn 1942 and early 1943 Papua New Guinea was 'a bastard of a place' to fight a war. This book gives us the final, all-encompassing story of the five battles that changed Australia forever. The compelling narrative resonates with the voices of both the well-trained AIF volunteer, and the young Militia conscript who triumphed together. The author interviewed hundreds of these soldiers and himself travelled the treacherous terrain and bloody battlegrounds where so many of their mates perished, and reveals the inside story of how Generals MacArthur and Blamey sacrificed many of the senior Australian field commanders as scapegoats to protect their own positions. A Bastard of a Place restores Milne Bay, Gona, Buna and Sanananda to their rightful place beside Kokoda to what they should collectively be for all Australians - sacred ground.world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – new guinea, world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – kokoda

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, map, p.404.non-fictionBy March 1942, the Japanese had steamrolled through Malaya, laid siege to Singapore, and bombed Darwin with the same ferocity they had dealt Pearl Harbor. Nothing could stop them. Their next step was inevitable, surely: the invasion and occupation of Australia. Meanwhile, as Australian prime minister John Curtin was battling with Winston Churchill to get troops back from overseas to defend their homeland, he was also positioning to ensure the United States would be there with us to fend off the approaching enemy. And at home, people pitched in as best they could and in any way to frustrate the invader. They all played their part, torn between 'she'll be right' and near panic. On Our Doorstep is the story of how Australia and Australians - the government, the military and the people - prepared to face this calamity, and the events that persuaded them of its probability. In the end, Japan found it had stretched itself beyond the reliability of its supply line, but had it ever intended to invade Australia?world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – south west pacific, australia - politics and government - 1939-1945

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.304.non-fictionThe fighting on the Kokoda track in WWII is second only to Gallipoli in the Australian national consciousness. In this important book, the author explains what really happened on the Kokoda track in 1942.world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – kokoda, kokoda track papua new guinea

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.252.non-fictionAgainst the sun is a challenging account of the AIF's 8th division and the campaign against the Japanese in Malaya in 1941 - 1942world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – malaya, australian army - 8th division

Index, bibliography, map, p.268.non-fictionA Sudden Rampage describes the origins, the methods and the results of imperial Japan's occupation of Southeast Asia during the Second World War.world war 1939-1945 - japan - occupied territories, japan - foreign relations - 1941-1945

Index, ill, maps, p.305.non-fictionAn account of the Kokoda campaign that has been challenged by Williamsworld war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – kokoda, kokoda track 1942

Index, notes, ill, maps, p.413.non-fictionAn account of the Kokoda campaign in 1942 with the Japanese side also described in some detailworld war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – kokoda, kokoda trail - new guinea

Index, bibliography, ill, maps, p.179.non-fictionAn extraordinary story of a small force defeating a much larger one. It is the tale of 550 men of the 39th Militia Battalion. In eight short and brutal weeks, these soldiers slowed, and eventually stopped the advance of 6000 experienced Japanese troops.world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – kokoda, australian army - 39th battalion

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.193.non-fictionAustralia lost its innocence in 1942. Japan had conquered Asia and the Pacific,and were at our doorstep. Our finest troops were fighting in the Middle East. All that stood between the Japanese onslaught and our homeland was a handful of 18-year-old militia troops who had never fired a shot in angerworld war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – kokoda, kokoda track papua new guinea

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.262.non-fictionThe story of POW's captured at Hong Kong is told for the first time in this book. A gripping tale of courage and enduranceworld war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – hong kong, world war 1939-1945 - prisoners and prisons - japan

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.479.non-fictionKokoda, 1942. In the muddy, treacherous mountains of Papua New Guinea, a small force of young Australian soldiers - some of them still teenagers - are up against highly trained, experienced Japanese troops. Many believed that the all-conquering Imperial Japanese Army was unstoppable. But this is the story of how these brave young Aussies faced up to some of the world's best soldiers on a narrow, precarious jungle track - and defeated them.world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – kokoda, kokoda track 1942

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.307.non-fictionThe biography of Ralph Honner, soldier and statesmanaustralian army - 39th infantry battalion, world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – new guinea

Index, ill, maps, p.164.non-fictionAn account of the clandestine operations launced from Australiaon the Japanese occupied islands to its north during World War Two.australian army - independent company - 2/2. 2/4., australian army - clandestine operations

Index, bibliography,ill, maps, p.310.non-fictionIn the last months of 1944, a group of elite Australian and British commandos was selected for the biggest Allied behind-the-scenes operation of the Pacific War. Their mission: to devastate the enemy's shipping by destroying the Japanese ships at anchor in Singapore Harbour. Operation Rimau, Britain's last throw of the colonial dice in South-East Asia, was intended as a body blow to the Japanese and a signal to the world that she would reclaim her Eastern Empire. Britain was trying to reclaim past glory - while Australia's wartime prime minister, John Curtin, had turned to America. In this atmosphere, Operation Rimau was planned ... Operation Rimau takes us inside the fierce conflict, and tells what really happened to these brave commandos - from the very beginnings of the operation through to their intense and courageous fighting in the South China Seas, and its aftermath. It exposes the sloppy planning behind the raid, and names the officers who betrayed and abandoned them in their hour of need, and details the political double-dealing which for so many years hid the real story behind red tape and bureaucratic lies.world war 1939-1945 - covert operations - australia, krait (ship)

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.548.non-fictionPearl Harbour. Kokoda. The fall of Singapore. Curtin's fight with Churchill. The bombing of Darwin. The Battle of Midway. POWs. Kamikaze. Hiroshima. These words alone are enough to convey the terror, courage and drama of the Pacific War, when the balance of power stood on a knife-edge and when the future of Australia herself was on the brink - threatened by Japanese aggression on one hand and British apathy on the other. Until now the history of the Pacific War has largely been written from the American perspective. Now, for the first time, Peter Thompson places Australian voices and action at the heart of a struggle that took an unimaginable number of lives and only ended with the unleashing of the most powerful weapon the world had ever seen. Pearl Harbor; The fall of Singapore; Curtin's fights with Churchill; The bombing of Darwin; POW camps; The battle of Midway; Kokoda; Buna; Kamikaze pilots; Hiroshima. These words alone are enough to convey the terror, courage and drama of the Pacific War, when the balance of power stood on a knife-edge and when the future of Australia was on the brink - threatened by Japanese aggression on the one hand and British deception on the other. After a conflict that took an unimaginable number of lives and ended with the unleashing of the most powerful weapon the world had ever seen, the Allies emerged victorious. Australia, however, was criticised by Churchill and his generals for showing cowardice in the face of the enemy and for not caring about the fate of other nations. The endorsement of these claims by several military historians today shows that the smear has not gone away. Until nowworld war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – pacific, world war 1939 – 1945 – australia

Index, bibliography, ill, maps, p.73.non-fictionA comprehensive guide to the first Japanese attacks on Darwin on 19th February 1942, written by Dr Tom Lewis, OAM. An essential reference work on this controversial subject that includes a full list of those killed as well as other detailed appendices. It also includes fascinating information on what wartime sites are still accessible in and around the northern capital. Originally published in 1999, until recently it has mainly been available only in Darwin itself.world war 1939-1945 - air raids - darwin, world war 1939-1945 - aerial operations - japan

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.109.non-fictionBombing of Darwin - Includes glossary of World War II Australian slangworld war 1939-1945 - australia - northern territory, air raids - darwin

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.375.non-fictionBomber Command's offensive against the cities of Germany was one of the epic campaigns of the Second World War. More than 56,000 British and Commonwealth aircrew and 600,000 Germans died in the course of the RAF's attempt to win the war by bombing. The struggle began in 1939 with a few score primitive Whitleys, Hampdens and Wellingtons, and ended six years later with 1,600 Lancasters, Halifaxes and Mosquitoes razing whole cities in a single night. world war 1939-1945 - aerial operations - britain, royal air orce - bomber command