The Fight for Australia
In the dark days following the fall of Singapore in February 1942, Australia faced its toughest battle yet. It was centre-stage and under direct attack from seemingly invincible Japanese forces. Winston Churchill was demanding our best battle-hardened troops stay in North Africa while President Roosevelt called for them to fight the Japanese in Burma. But Prime Minister John Curtin insisted, in an act of defiance, that they return to defend their homeland.
Australia had never been more isolated – strategically, politically and physically. Or less prepared.
In this masterful and gripping account, Roland Perry brings to life the bravery of our fellow Australians: from the forces engaged in brutal frontline fighting in the jungle, sea and air, to the backroom strategic campaigns waged by our politicians, and the sacrifices made on the home front. The Fight for Australia is the rich and revealing story of how we, as a nation, fought for our very survival – and stood up for our interests, against friend and foe alike.