When Australians think of the brave men who fought in Papua in the Second World War, they immediately think of the Kokoda Trail. But as well as the Kokda campaign, Australian men fought against the Japanese in Milne Bay on the eastern tip of the island, and in Gona, Buna and Sanananda in the north.

A Bastard of a Place details the efforts of Australian soldiers in all of these places in the years 1942 and 1943. It describes and explores the men who fought there, the battles that they fought and the victories they won. Importantly, it also debunks some of the myths and outright untruths about the events.

The war against the Japanese in Papua and New Guinea was one which was vital for the protection of Australia. The story, as it is told here, is an important piece of our history, yet one which is not well known. Peter Brune, in this honest and well-researched volume, seeks to make up for this lack of renown and bring this piece of history to the common Australian.

Essential reading.

A Bastard of a Place: The Australians in Papua, by Peter Brune
Allen & Uwnin, 2003

More Historical Reads

Farther Than Any Man, by Martin Dugard
One Fourteenth of an Elephant, by Ian Denys Peek
The Encyclopedia of Australia's Battles, by Chris Coulthard-Clark