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Papua Trilogy #1
Papua
Two men, sworn enemies, come face to face on the battlefields of France.When Jack Kelly, a captain in the Australian army, shows compassion towards his prisoner Paul Mann, a brave and high-ranking German officer, an unexpected bond is formed. But neither could imagine how their pasts and futures would become inextricably linked by one place: Papua.
The Great War is finally over and both soldiers return to their once familiar lives, only to find that in their absences events have changed their respective worlds forever. In Sydney Jack is suddenly alone with a son he does not know and a future filled with uncertainty, while the photograph of a beautiful German woman he has never met fills his thoughts. Meanwhile the Germany that Paul had fought for is vanishing under the influence of an ambitious young man named Adolph Hitler, and he fears for the future of his family. A new beginning beckons them both in a beautiful but dangerous land where rivers of gold are as legendary as the fearless, cannibalistic tribes, and where fortunes can be made and lost as quickly as a life. Papua.
A compelling novel where love, loyalty and the strength of family must stand against greed and treachery in a tropical paradise.
The Great War is finally over and both soldiers return to their once familiar lives, only to find that in their absences events have changed their respective worlds forever. In Sydney Jack is suddenly alone with a son he does not know and a future filled with uncertainty, while the photograph of a beautiful German woman he has never met fills his thoughts. Meanwhile the Germany that Paul had fought for is vanishing under the influence of an ambitious young man named Adolph Hitler, and he fears for the future of his family. A new beginning beckons them both in a beautiful but dangerous land where rivers of gold are as legendary as the fearless, cannibalistic tribes, and where fortunes can be made and lost as quickly as a life. Papua.
A compelling novel where love, loyalty and the strength of family must stand against greed and treachery in a tropical paradise.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
485 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
39 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Peter Watt
57 books121 followersPeter 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).
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).
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 15, 2020
This is my second Watt story. He seems to have a recipe. A steely Australian hero supported by a loyal friend. Beautiful women. An illegitimate birth or two. A murderous bad guy. A surprising inheritance. Battles and fighting. Exotic locations. It all reminds me of H. Rider Haggard with a modern twist.
In this book we have two guys, one Australian one German, who meet on a battlefield in France. Later they reunite and become great friends and work together in PNG. The hero gets a few women pregnant, one of them goes back to Germany and becomes a Nazi, there's a few spies for various nations, fortunes are won and lost and before long the book ends with enough open storylines for another two books in the series.
In this book we have two guys, one Australian one German, who meet on a battlefield in France. Later they reunite and become great friends and work together in PNG. The hero gets a few women pregnant, one of them goes back to Germany and becomes a Nazi, there's a few spies for various nations, fortunes are won and lost and before long the book ends with enough open storylines for another two books in the series.
June 4, 2023
интересно
May 19, 2022
3,5 sterren. Een Roman, historische roman, avontureneoman. Alles in een over een tijd, vlak na de eerste wereld oorlog. Over een "onmogelijke vriendschap tussen een Australiër en een Duitser in Papoa New Ginea. Heeft zeker vaart. Loopt goed door. Spanning niet altijd even goed omdat er veel al "weg" wordt gegeven voor de lezer, terwijl de personages nog in het duister tasten.
September 5, 2020
Great engaging yarn, interesting characters, good insight into life in early north Queensland and Papua New Guinea. I have liked most novels by Peter Watt.
May 20, 2020
Харесвам приключенски истории на екзотични места. Тази не беше, да речеш, твърде приключенска, но си имаше и война, и любов, и приятелство и предателство, а историята се разви в около десетина години, така че го нямаше и неприятния момент герои, към които в някаква степен си се привързан, докато си следвал житието им като млади, здрави и борбени, накрая да кретат с последни сили и да измират с цел успешен завършек на сагата.
Щях да направя забележка за една сюжетна линия, която ми поразвали относително доброто впечатление, но сега видях, че книгата е първа част от трилогия, така че е много вероятно този "пропуск" да е поправен още във втората част.
Щях да направя забележка за една сюжетна линия, която ми поразвали относително доброто впечатление, но сега видях, че книгата е първа част от трилогия, така че е много вероятно този "пропуск" да е поправен още във втората част.
January 24, 2021
War makes friends
Another great story by this author hence the 5 stars. Friends are made when trying to kill each other in battle. You will have to read the book to find out more about there life's.
Another great story by this author hence the 5 stars. Friends are made when trying to kill each other in battle. You will have to read the book to find out more about there life's.
June 11, 2019
Bit 'boys own' in the style of Wilbur Smith - frontier cowboys.
October 16, 2023
An easy to read book that had great plot twits. Loved the detail in the writing.
June 11, 2024
Took me a while to read. I learnt a lot about Papua New Guinea and Germany and many other things between the two wars. Some interesting characters and intertwined plots.
July 26, 2016
In this book Peter has exchanged the rugged and often barren Queensland landscape for the tropical jungle and steamy wildness of the Papua backdrop.
The dangers of native cannibals and tribal culture, surrounding a small outcrop of civilized humanity, creates a hardy and intriguing character Jack Kelly. He has returned to a former world after the battlefront of The Great War with memories of horrors and the humility of finding admiration in an aggressive and like-minded opponent Paul Mann, during those dark days. Back in Australia Jack found himself widowed with a young son he doesn’t know, he promptly leaves the boy with his sister and brother-in-law to return to Papua to make his fortune with his friend George Spencer. Gold prospecting success combined with failure in a dangerous excursion causes Jack to loose his good friend George.
Meanwhile, in Germany, Paul Mann finds his manipulative sister Erika causing problems with her obsession with Heir Hitler and his followers, making their lives untenable. Paul plays a dangerous game in the German Intelligence machine, one that eventually puts himself and his family at risk and in a bold move causes distrust by the new regime for his sister Erika. He flees the country with his sister, wife Karin and son Karl. In Port Moresby Paul meets his former enemy Jack and they form a close friendship. Jack returns to Australia due to his sisters’ illness. Karin takes in Jacks’ son Lukas when his sister dies. Erika then takes her chances and leaves her sister-in-law to scheme her way back to Germany and her beloved Heir Hitler.
Jack and Paul are loveable characters that strive to make a place in the world for their families. A man named O’Leary, a slave trader holding a grudge against Jack from an encounter prior to the war, crosses their path and eventually attempts a fatal attack. I have not mentioned the other worthy characters that enter their lives along the way, all in all, the book is enthralling and the conclusion is apt.
If you have yet to read and enjoy Peter Watt’s excellent work, start with this one. You will soon realise Peter makes every word count and you will be carried along a journey through a savage land with characters you come to know as friends. Having read Papua, this will entice you to go on by reading the authors other excellent series commencing with ‘Cry of the Curlew’ and continuing with ‘Shadow of the Osprey’ and ‘Flight of the Eagle’.
Merged review:
In this book Peter has exchanged the rugged and often barren Queensland landscape for the tropical jungle and steamy wildness of the Papua backdrop.
The dangers of native cannibals and tribal culture, surrounding a small outcrop of civilized humanity, creates a hardy and intriguing character Jack Kelly. He has returned to a former world after the battlefront of The Great War with memories of horrors and the humility of finding admiration in an aggressive and like-minded opponent Paul Mann, during those dark days. Back in Australia Jack found himself widowed with a young son he doesn’t know, he promptly leaves the boy with his sister and brother-in-law to return to Papua to make his fortune with his friend George Spencer. Gold prospecting success combined with failure in a dangerous excursion causes Jack to loose his good friend George.
Meanwhile, in Germany, Paul Mann finds his manipulative sister Erika causing problems with her obsession with Heir Hitler and his followers, making their lives untenable. Paul plays a dangerous game in the German Intelligence machine, one that eventually puts himself and his family at risk and in a bold move causes distrust by the new regime for his sister Erika. He flees the country with his sister, wife Karin and son Karl. In Port Moresby Paul meets his former enemy Jack and they form a close friendship. Jack returns to Australia due to his sisters’ illness. Karin takes in Jacks’ son Lukas when his sister dies. Erika then takes her chances and leaves her sister-in-law to scheme her way back to Germany and her beloved Heir Hitler.
Jack and Paul are loveable characters that strive to make a place in the world for their families. A man named O’Leary, a slave trader holding a grudge against Jack from an encounter prior to the war, crosses their path and eventually attempts a fatal attack. I have not mentioned the other worthy characters that enter their lives along the way, all in all, the book is enthralling and the conclusion is apt.
If you have yet to read and enjoy Peter Watt’s excellent work, start with this one. You will soon realise Peter makes every word count and you will be carried along a journey through a savage land with characters you come to know as friends. Having read Papua, this will entice you to go on by reading the authors other excellent series commencing with ‘Cry of the Curlew’ and continuing with ‘Shadow of the Osprey’ and ‘Flight of the Eagle’.
The dangers of native cannibals and tribal culture, surrounding a small outcrop of civilized humanity, creates a hardy and intriguing character Jack Kelly. He has returned to a former world after the battlefront of The Great War with memories of horrors and the humility of finding admiration in an aggressive and like-minded opponent Paul Mann, during those dark days. Back in Australia Jack found himself widowed with a young son he doesn’t know, he promptly leaves the boy with his sister and brother-in-law to return to Papua to make his fortune with his friend George Spencer. Gold prospecting success combined with failure in a dangerous excursion causes Jack to loose his good friend George.
Meanwhile, in Germany, Paul Mann finds his manipulative sister Erika causing problems with her obsession with Heir Hitler and his followers, making their lives untenable. Paul plays a dangerous game in the German Intelligence machine, one that eventually puts himself and his family at risk and in a bold move causes distrust by the new regime for his sister Erika. He flees the country with his sister, wife Karin and son Karl. In Port Moresby Paul meets his former enemy Jack and they form a close friendship. Jack returns to Australia due to his sisters’ illness. Karin takes in Jacks’ son Lukas when his sister dies. Erika then takes her chances and leaves her sister-in-law to scheme her way back to Germany and her beloved Heir Hitler.
Jack and Paul are loveable characters that strive to make a place in the world for their families. A man named O’Leary, a slave trader holding a grudge against Jack from an encounter prior to the war, crosses their path and eventually attempts a fatal attack. I have not mentioned the other worthy characters that enter their lives along the way, all in all, the book is enthralling and the conclusion is apt.
If you have yet to read and enjoy Peter Watt’s excellent work, start with this one. You will soon realise Peter makes every word count and you will be carried along a journey through a savage land with characters you come to know as friends. Having read Papua, this will entice you to go on by reading the authors other excellent series commencing with ‘Cry of the Curlew’ and continuing with ‘Shadow of the Osprey’ and ‘Flight of the Eagle’.
Merged review:
In this book Peter has exchanged the rugged and often barren Queensland landscape for the tropical jungle and steamy wildness of the Papua backdrop.
The dangers of native cannibals and tribal culture, surrounding a small outcrop of civilized humanity, creates a hardy and intriguing character Jack Kelly. He has returned to a former world after the battlefront of The Great War with memories of horrors and the humility of finding admiration in an aggressive and like-minded opponent Paul Mann, during those dark days. Back in Australia Jack found himself widowed with a young son he doesn’t know, he promptly leaves the boy with his sister and brother-in-law to return to Papua to make his fortune with his friend George Spencer. Gold prospecting success combined with failure in a dangerous excursion causes Jack to loose his good friend George.
Meanwhile, in Germany, Paul Mann finds his manipulative sister Erika causing problems with her obsession with Heir Hitler and his followers, making their lives untenable. Paul plays a dangerous game in the German Intelligence machine, one that eventually puts himself and his family at risk and in a bold move causes distrust by the new regime for his sister Erika. He flees the country with his sister, wife Karin and son Karl. In Port Moresby Paul meets his former enemy Jack and they form a close friendship. Jack returns to Australia due to his sisters’ illness. Karin takes in Jacks’ son Lukas when his sister dies. Erika then takes her chances and leaves her sister-in-law to scheme her way back to Germany and her beloved Heir Hitler.
Jack and Paul are loveable characters that strive to make a place in the world for their families. A man named O’Leary, a slave trader holding a grudge against Jack from an encounter prior to the war, crosses their path and eventually attempts a fatal attack. I have not mentioned the other worthy characters that enter their lives along the way, all in all, the book is enthralling and the conclusion is apt.
If you have yet to read and enjoy Peter Watt’s excellent work, start with this one. You will soon realise Peter makes every word count and you will be carried along a journey through a savage land with characters you come to know as friends. Having read Papua, this will entice you to go on by reading the authors other excellent series commencing with ‘Cry of the Curlew’ and continuing with ‘Shadow of the Osprey’ and ‘Flight of the Eagle’.
November 22, 2015
A sweeping powerhouse of a novel this book follows a friendship between Jack Kelly and Paul Mann after an unusual meeting in the trenches of WW1, beautifully written and evoking the time and exotic locations so well this book is well worth a read. Easily as good as some of Wilbur Smith's earlier books and definitely better than the later ones......
September 20, 2016
Excellent Read
This is gripping adventure from the trenches of the first world war to Papua where the Mann's and Kelly's interact through Faith and destined. Great read gripping adventure recommend to all adventurers out there ,
This is gripping adventure from the trenches of the first world war to Papua where the Mann's and Kelly's interact through Faith and destined. Great read gripping adventure recommend to all adventurers out there ,
April 28, 2011
Het boek wordt aanbevolen als: "De Australische Wilbur Smith".
Die woorden zijn een beetje te hoog gegrepen, maar het is zeker een aanrader.
Die woorden zijn een beetje te hoog gegrepen, maar het is zeker een aanrader.
Want to read
August 26, 2011Found at a cake stall. 1 of 7 books for $5 total!.
October 11, 2014
Nice story in an interessant setting. Quality of writing is mediocre though.
January 23, 2016
Although this is one of the earlier books by Peter Watt, in my opinion, it is as good as any of the books he has written since. A very exciting read, I found it hard to put down.
July 23, 2016
A good easy to read adventure story. I thought the ending was a bit weak but hadn't realised there was a sequel at that stage.
January 28, 2013
Great adventure story, but more suited for teenagers :) Ending was rather weak, unfinished.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews