And Fire Falls

Frontier #9

by Peter Watt

It is 1942 and the war in the Pacific is on Australia's doorstep, changing the lives of the Duffy and Macintosh families as never before.

In Sydney, siblings Donald and Sarah Macintosh battle for their father's approval, and control of his empire, while their cousin David fights the enemy across the continents.

US Marine Pilot James Duffy defies his grandfather's wishes, and, a number of times, death, protecting Australian skies from the Japanese. Below, trapped in the jungles of Malaya, Diane Duffy is caught between saving the lives of hundreds of orphaned children, or that of her son.

While Tom Duffy finds himself enlisting in yet another world war, his daughter Jessica narrowly escapes slaughter at a mission station, causing her to revoke her vows and follow in her father's footsteps.

Nearly a century after the Aboriginal curse that forever tied these two families, and amidst the most devastating conflict in history, the Duffys and Macintoshes will find a way to endure... and perhaps even thrive.

Genres: Historical Fiction, World War II, Australia, Fiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2014

About the author

Peter Watt's life experiences have included time as a soldier, articled clerk to a solicitor, prawn trawler deckhand, builder's labourer, pipe layer, real estate salesman, private investigator, police sergeant and adviser to the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary. He has lived and worked with Aborigines, Islanders, Vietnamese and Papua New Guineans.


He speaks, reads and writes Vietnamese and Pidgin - and has a reasonable grasp of the English language. He currently lives in Maclean, on the Clarence River in Northern NSW.

Good friends, fine food, fishing and the vast open spaces of outback Queensland are his main interests in life. He also enjoys SCUBA diving, military history, crosswords (but not the cryptic kind) and teaching.

He is a member of the Australian Institute of Management, the Australian Institute of Training and Development and the Australian Society of Authors.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree (University of Tasmania), Post Graduate Diploma of Training & Development (University of New England) and an Associate Diploma of Justice Administration (Sturt University).

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

And Fire Falls is book nine in the Frontier series by Peter Watt. And Fire Falls is about two families Macintoshes and Duffys and how they survived during WWII. Brother and Sister Donald and Sarah Macintosh are at war to take control of their father's empire and while their cousin David Macintosh is fighting the war in Asia. The Duffy family, Tom Duffy achieved his wish and re-enlisted into the army while his daughter Jessica fraught to stay alive in Singapore. The Japanese caught Diane Duffy when she tries to save orphaned children in Singapore. Us Marine Pilot James Duffy got involved in protecting Australians from the Japanese. The readers of And Fire Falls will continue to follow the twist and turns and the hardships that each member of the Macintoshes and Duffy families go through during WWII and how it affects everyone.

I did not realise when started, And Fire Falls that it was part of a series following the families of Duffy's and Macintosh. However, you can read, And Fire Falls out of sequences. And Fire Falls is well written, and research by Peter Watt and he does a great job in ensure that his readers are involved in And Fire Falls. I like Peter Watt portrayal of his characters and the how they intertwined with each other throughout And Fire Falls. Peter Watt does a great job of describing the setting and the plot of And Fire Falls.

The readers of And Fire Falls will learn about the problems of women during the occupation of the Japanese in Singapore during WWII. Also, the readers of And Fire Falls will be impressed with how Peter Watt intertwine correct historical factors with his fictional characters.

I recommend this book.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was loaned this book to read and was unaware it was part of a series. I certainly was left wanting to read the next book but I don’t think it mattered too much that I hadn’t read the earlier books - although now I want to! I could follow the story line despite this being book 9 of 12. I enjoyed the insights into the war in PNG and thought it was well written. It was an easy and enjoyable read

[Townsville Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Find this Great Summer Read in Townsville

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite this being a book a long way into a series, it was still a good 'stand alone' read. I liked the combination of war history and fiction about several families where some members are enmeshed in the war and others are at home, although not untouched by the war. There were certainly some interesting insights into life and the values of the time, as well as the challenges of the war. I found the jumping between characters and situations led to a much more disjointed story, which was a little disconcerting. It proved to be a good choice for an audiobook as a long family saga with plenty of action to keep us entertained on a very long road trip.

[Joy Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book and it gives another look at people who did join and those that didn't. Very sad that certain people have to stay because their job requires them to keep their job because of the economy when the war is over or family members had sway that they didn't go. The number of people who pu their age up or down . A very honest view and enjoyed that the aborigines were very much a part of this .the family's feuding at this time instead of joining together and as usual it's all about money and power. In a way those two families had their own war and it had mortalities !

[Nigel Copeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family at war home and away

Another great story by this author hence the 5 stars. The war is just not abroad but at home too who will be there. You will have to read the book to find out

[Neville · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Duffy and Macintosh families are at war still as well as the fight with the Japs threating to invade Australia during WWII.
The story switches between the various family members during their fight against each other and the Japanese.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read

[Igor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The saga continues but with 3 more books to go I just want to finish to series. Still a good read.....

[Mike Taverner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a soapy but enjoyable and with important history

[Em's Adventures · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten out of ten for history, plot and reading.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook.

[Pauleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this particular book despite Peter Watt's strengths with other books. He weaves great stories from the yarn of Australia's history by using a few families and interwoven relationships to illustrate. The big disappointment was that although set in 1942 and focused on the fear and risk of Japanese invasion at this point in the war. In this context the omission of the Bombing of Darwin and Broome, Australia's first experience of international war on home soil, was both bewildering and surprising. I also felt the editor's pen could have been put to better use to pick up some mistakes.

Having said all that, Peter Watt's books are generally both informative and engaging. If you haven't read any, start at the beginning of the series and work your way through them.

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this up on a whim. I enjoyed the story of war in the Pacific, both from those fighting and those in business in Australia. As I have not read others in the series I did get a little lost with past relationships, which is why I only gave the book 2 stars.

[Sharron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good light read of this continuing family saga. The war in the Pacific is particularly well incorporated and I enjoyed the family dynamic of those who served and those who stayed home and lined their coffers.

[Greg Barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another engrossing instalment in one of Australia's most enduring family sagas. The Pacific War segments are particularly well drawn. Keep them coming, Peter.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed "And Fire Falls", the 9th book in the The Frontier Series. I am now reading book 10 "Beneath a Rising Sun".

[Graeme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read as with others in the series.