Download or read book To Kokoda written by Nicholas Anderson and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-10-05 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the Japanese war machine swept through South-East Asia in early 1942, it was inevitable that conflict would reach Australian territory on the island of New Guinea. The ultimate Japanese target was Port Moresby. Conquering the capital would sever communication between Australia and her American ally and allow Japanese air power to threaten Australia’s northern cities. When a seaborne invasion was thwarted at the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Nankai Shitai landed in Papua on 21 July and lunched an overland attack. Having captured the village of Kokoda with its vital airstrip, the Japanese headed for Port Moresby, traversing the treacherous Kokoda trail that winds across the might Owen Stanley Range. The Australian Army was ill prepared to confront the Japanese. Poorly equipped, undertrained, and unaccustomed to jungle warfare, the untested militia battalions were the first to face the battle-hardened invading forces. Later, when veteran AIF brigades were rushed forward to bolster the militia, they also fell in the path of the Japanese onslaught. But the over-extension of supply lines and disaster on Guadalcanal eventually cruelled Japanese aspirations and the Kokoda campaign became a bloody and protracted struggle as the Australian troops fought to drive the Japanese off the Owen Stanleys and out of Papua. While the front-line troops were engaged in a bitter fight for survival, a power struggle erupted at the top of the Allied command hierarchy resulting in a series of sackings, the competing ambitions of the Allied commanders clouding their judgement at a critical time. It was under these conditions, against a determined enemy and on one of the harshest battlefields on earth, that the Australian forces began to learn the crucial lessons that would be needed to break the back of the Japanese Army in New Guinea.
Download or read book The Bone Man of Kokoda written by Charles Happell and published by Pan Australia. This book was released on 2008 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kokichi Nishimura was a member of the 2nd battalion, 144th Regiment of the Japanese Imperial Army. In 1942 he fought along every foot of Kokoda as the Japanese attempted to take Port Moresby. He was the only man from his company to survive the campaign. As he was evacuated to safety he made a promise that one day he would return to his comrades and bring them home to Japan for proper burial. After the war, Nishimura prospered. But under the surface, the driving ambition of his life was to fulfil his promise. In 1979, he shocked his family by returning to New Guinea to search for the remains of Japanese soldiers. For the next 25 years, Nishimura lived alone along the Kokoda Track. Armed only with a metal detector, a mattock and a shovel, he searched for his dead comrades. Over the years he found hundreds of them - some he was able to identify and return their bones to their families; others were unknown, and their remains were sent to Japan's official shrine for its war dead in Tokyo. In 2005 Nishimura, now in his mid-eighties and seriously ill, was forced to return to Japan. His story is an incredible adventure that gives us a radically different viewpoint on a battle that has become part of our national myth. Nishimura's life and quest above all offer a poignant reminder of the futility of war.
Download or read book The Kokoda Campaign 1942 written by Peter Williams and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2012-03-02 with total page 323 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The fighting on the Kokoda Track in World War II is second only to Gallipoli in the Australian national consciousness. The Kokoda campaign of 1942 has taken on mythical status in Australian military history. According to the legend, Australian soldiers were vastly outnumbered by the Japanese, who suffered great losses in battle and as a result of the harsh conditions of the Kokoda Track. In this important book, Peter Williams seeks to dispel the Kokoda myth. Using extensive research and Japanese sources, he explains what really happened on the Kokoda Track in 1942. Unlike most other books written from an Australian perspective, The Kokoda Campaign 1942: Myth and reality focuses on the strategies, tactics and battle plans of the Japanese and shows that the Australians were in fact rarely outnumbered. For the first time, this book combines narrative with careful analysis to present an undistorted picture of the events of the campaign. It is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the truth of the Kokoda campaign of 1942.
Download or read book The Path of Infinite Sorrow written by Craig Collie and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2012 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'We were all skin and bone, as if our stomachs were stuck to the inside wall of our back.' Two armies, Japanese and Australian, each in turn pushing the other back along a muddy, precipitous track over the mountainous spine of New Guinea. Few prisoners were taken, most were shot. War conventions were routinely flouted, by both sides.
Download or read book Kokoda written by Karl James and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-03-27 with total page 397 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kokoda: Beyond the Legend provides readers with a complete understanding of this major turning point in the Second World War.
Download or read book Kokoda TV TIE IN written by Paul Ham and published by HarperCollins Australia. This book was released on 2011-01-01 with total page 91 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The inspiration for a major two-part ABC documentary, KOKODA is set to win over a whole new audience 'Never in my life ... had I seen soldiers who looked so shocked and so tired and so utterly weary as those men' Brigadier John Rogers, Australia's Director of Military Intelligence, 1942Now a major two-part ABC documentary series produced with Screen Australia's Making History, Paul Ham's KOKODA is the bestselling history of the crucial battles in Papua New Guinea that saved Australia from the threat of Japanese attack.In this acclaimed account, Ham describes both sides of the appalling struggle along the Kokoda track in 1942 when a few badly trained Australian troops confronted the Imperial Japanese Army in the worst terrain imaginable.Few of us know the true story behind that legend; few know the guts inside the myth. Kokoda was a war without mercy; a predatory war, where men hunted down men like wild animals. No army had fought in such conditions; no Allied general believed it possible.Yet Kokoda was a vital struggle; undoubtedly a turning point in the Pacific War. Had the Japanese captured Port Moresby, Australia would surely have been bombed and cut off as the only base in the South West Pacific for the Allied counter-offensive.the diggers were fighting for their very country's survival as the last free nation in Asia.Paul Ham is the author of VIEtNAM: tHE AUStRALIAN WAR and the Australia correspondent for the LONDON SUNDAY tIMES. He co-wrote, co-produced and appears in the ABC's two-part documentary based on this book, which, for the first time, took a camera crew along the full length of the KOKODA tRACK.
Download or read book The Lost Battlefield of Kokoda written by Brian Freeman and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2012 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Brian Freeman knows the Kokoda Trail better than almost any other living Australian. The former Specialist Forces soldier has set records running the length of it and led dozens of treks along it for his adventure travel company. But in more than a decade of involvement with the trail, even he never suspected the secret held by the villagers of Alola, a tiny community perched high in some of the trail's most difficult terrain.Since 1942 the villagers had passed down a secret from generation to generation – the location of a lost battlefield, where advancing Australian forces and retreating Japanese soldiers had fought in the Second World War. It was one of the bloodiest engagements of the campaign, yet inaccurate references in maps drawn after the fighting meant that when the tide of war moved on, the battlefield was forgotten and quickly reclaimed by the jungle.After years of friendship, in which Brian earned the villagers' trust, they decided to let him in on the secret, knowing that such a revelation required a trustworthy person to help them manage the intense interest they suspected would follow. Their decision was vindicated as Brian authenticated and mapped the battlefield with professional archaeologists and helped set up a trust to act as guardian for the special site.Part fascinating military history, part gripping archaeological mystery, part exciting adventure, The Lost Battlefield of Kokoda is the story of the trail and that long-ago battle – how it was fought, then lost and found.
Download or read book Ralph Honner written by Peter Brune and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2007-10-01 with total page 377 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ralph Honner: Kokoda Hero is the story of one of Australia's great World War II battalion commanders. Honner fought as a junior officer in the first and triumphant North African battles of Bardia, Tobruk and Derna. He then took part in the heartbreaking and disastrous campaigns in Greece and Crete where he was one of the last Australians to be evacuated by submarine-three months after Crete's fall. But it was during 1942, at Isurava on the Kokoda Trail and at the Japanese beachhead of Gona in Papua New Guinea, that Ralph Honner played a decisive role in the making of an Australian legend. Worshipped by his men, he was severely wounded in 1943 and, after a long convalescence, served Australia with distinction as a public servant, political figure and diplomat. Written by one of Australia's bestselling military history authors, who knew Ralph Honner and had access to his private letters and papers, Ralph Honner: Kokoda Hero contains gripping, action-packed descriptions of the fighting in North Africa, Greece, Crete and Papua New Guinea. The story of a remarkable man, it covers events from Honner's adolescence in the last vestiges of pioneering Australia through to his distinguished political and diplomatic career, spanning nearly a century of his nation's history.
Download or read book Kokoda Trail for Dummies written by Peter Williams and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-02-23 with total page 371 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Everything you need to know about the Kokoda Trail and its place in Australian history Interest in the Kokoda Trail is growing rapidly among many Australians, both for its attraction as a hiking destination and for its historical significance. Kokoda For Dummies offers a fast track tool for learning everything you need to know about this unique thoroughfare, in one concise volume. Part history book, part practical guide, Kokoda For Dummies is perfect both for those considering following our Diggers’ footsteps along ‘the track’ or armchair travellers who want to learn about its history. Covering the full history of the Kokoda Trail, from its beginnings as an overland mail route to the fierce battles between the Australians and the Japanese that took place along its length during World War II, the book also includes important information on walking the trail yourself. From the steps you need to take to get ready to what to bring, Kokoda For Dummies is the definitive resource for anyone looking for a comprehensive overview of this significant landmark. Focuses on walking the track as a pilgrimage and a history lesson for history buffs and hiking enthusiasts alike Covers the health and safety concerns involved with walking the track, including a basic Kokoda itinerary Contains eyewitness accounts of the Kokoda battles gleaned from interviews conducted with Australian and Japanese war veterans A comprehensive but accessible history of the Kokoda Trail and its significance to Australia, in one volume.
Download or read book Kokoda written by Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This secondary school resource has been developed to mark the 70th anniversary of the battles along the Kokoda Trail. This resource contains 12 units of teaching and learning activities, DVD and CD-Rom providing additional information for some units. Using this resource, students can learn about the significance and strategic importance of Kokoda, the different peoples involved in the war, the fighting and living conditions, casualties, the personal experience of Australian and Japanese soldiers, General Blamey's "Rabbit Speech" and modern-day commemorations and pilgrimages to the site.
Download or read book Angel of Kokoda written by Mark Wilson and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 33 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Twelve-year-old Kari grew up along the banks of the Kusumi River, east of the village of Kokoda. His father taught him the traditional ways of his people, and Sister Mary taught him English at the mission schoolhouse. One day Kari s peaceful world is shattered when a bomb rips through the village of Kokoda. Kari searches among the wounded and finds a young soldier lying in a ditch. The soldier is badly hurt, but Kari will not leave him. Together they make the perilous journey to safety along the Kokoda Track. During the Pacific War of World War II, a series of battles were fought along the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea. The villagers who assisted the troops became known as the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels. Using a combination of oil paintings and pencil sketches, the multi-award-winning author and illustrator Mark Wilson brings this important period of history to life in this stunning picture book for older readers. Teachers' guide available at www.angelofkokoda.com.au
Download or read book Field Guide to the Kokoda Track written by Bill James and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 516 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Kokoda legend lay dormant for six decades, during which the rampant New Guinean jungle reclaimed many of its historic sites. Now, after years of painstaking research, and with the aid of the fast-thinning ranks of both Australian and Japanese veterans, Bill James has uncovered these 'lost battlefields', plus more. For those wishing to understand the history of the Kokoda Track, the (528 page) book will be of great interest. For those intending to undertake the gruelling trek, it is essential reading. The third edition of the book includes a new 1:50?000 scale waterproof trek map (740 mm x 408 mm 2-sided) that will be an indispensible aid. The revised edition includes the grave or memorial information for the fallen.
Download or read book The Battles for Kokoda Plateau written by David W Cameron and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2020-03-31 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'The Japanese attacked us, they mortared us, they shelled us...they did everything.' On 21 July 1942, a large Japanese reconnaissance mission landed along the north-eastern coastline of Papua, it would soon turn into an all-out attempt to capture Port Morseby. This is the powerful story of the three weeks of battle by a small Australian militia force, the 39th Battalion, supported by the 1st Papua Infantry Battalion and the Royal Papuan Constabulary, to keep the Japanese at bay. Outnumbered by at least three to one, they fought courageously to hold the Kokoda Plateau - the gateway to the Owen Stanleys. Critically short of ammunition and food and stranded in the fetid swamps and lowland jungles, they did everything they could to keep the Kokoda airstrip out of Japanese hands. Not far away, and desperately trying to reach the Australians, were two groups of Anglican missionaries trapped behind enemy lines. With each passing day the parties grew, joined by lost Australian soldiers and downed American airmen. Theirs is a story of tragedy and betrayal. Using letters, diaries and other first-hand accounts, from friend and foe alike, leading military historian David W Cameron, has for the first time written a detailed, compelling and provocative account of what occurred at the northern foot of the Owen Stanleys in late July and early August 1942. These are stories that deserve to be firmly embedded into the Kokoda legend.
Download or read book Jungle Warriors written by Adrian Threlfall and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2014 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Australians are acknowledged as being among the best, if not the best, jungle fighters. This fascinating and revealing history explores how the Australian soldier evolved from being trained for and fighting European and desert wars, fought in open country often by large numbers of troops, to the very close warfare of jungle combat.
Download or read book The Architect of Kokoda written by Robyn Kienzle and published by . This book was released on 2017-08-08 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Bert Kienzle did more than any other single man to make Australian victory possible.' Peter FitzSimons, author of KOKODAThe Kokoda story continues to have a very powerful resonance with all Australians, and Bert Kienzle's vital role is acknowledged in all the published accounts - but until now no one has ever told his story.If one person 'made' the Kokoda Track, that man was Bert Kienzle. Part Samoan and German/English, born in Fiji and raised in Germany and Australia, he was managing a rubber plantation and gold mine in New Guinea at the outbreak of World War II. He surveyed and established the Track, and spent more time on it than anyone else throughout the campaign - managing and organising the delivery of supplies and men along it.THE ARCHITECT OF KOKODA is a unique account of a very special part of our history, told by his daughter-in-law with unique access to the central character, and access to all his records and photos. This is the untold story of a true Australian war hero.Now part of the HACHETTE MILITARY COLLECTION.
Download or read book Authenticity written by Patrick Finney and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-04-28 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The pursuit of authenticity is a contemporary obsession. From hipster fixations on artisan coffee and vintage clothing through to the electoral success of supposedly unspun populist politicians like Donald Trump, a yearning for the real pervades our culture. Yet while highly prized and desired, authenticity is also profoundly elusive and contested. This volume stages a wide-ranging interdisciplinary interrogation of the concept, with case studies ranging from collective memory of the Second World War, through the historical fiction of Sarah Waters to the confessional art of Tracey Emin. With contributors drawn from memory studies, cultural history, English literature, theatre studies, and art criticism, it explores how authenticity is in play in diverse practices of reading, remembering, and performing. The chapters demonstrate that authenticity has no single stable definition, but is rather invoked in very diverse ways – both descriptively and prescriptively – in many diverse contexts. They also make clear that it is not an inherent quality but the product of orchestration, performance, and inter-subjective negotiation. This book was originally published as a special issue of Rethinking History.
Download or read book Australia 1942 written by Peter Dean and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2012-12-13 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1942, the shadow of modern war reached Australia's shores for the first time. In this compelling volume, leading historians explore why 1942 was such a pivotal year in Australia's history and explain how the nation confronted some of its greatest challenges. This broad ranging study covers key issues from political, economic and home front reform to the establishment of a new partnership with the United States; the role of the Air Force and the Navy; the bombing of Darwin; as well as the battles of Kokoda, Milne Bay, the Beachheads and Guadalcanal. Australia 1942 provides a unique and in-depth exploration of the controversy surrounding the potential for invasion. Japanese and Australian historians offer perspectives on Japanese military intentions and strategies towards Australia and the South Pacific. Generously illustrated, it is essential reading for anyone interested in one of Australia's most decisive and critical years.
