Australia 1942: In the Shadow of War

by Peter Dean (Editor), Kim Beazley (Foreword)

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.

276 pages, Hardcover

First published November 22, 2012

Reviews

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

My approach to this book was that it was probably going to be a throwaway that I was sucked into looking at because of the snappy cover art. In reality, this collection of essays represents a concise examination of the state of play when Australian society suddenly found itself on the front line. If there's one essay that was truly enlightening it was the one dealing with Australian-Japanese social relations, which tended to be cordial before the war broke out, and represented a continuation of the Anglo-Japanese alliance that existed before the Washington Naval Treaty. If Australia in WWII interests you as a topic you could do a lot worse than this work.

[Elaine Schroller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource and reference for WWII Australia/Pacific war