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  • Published: 3 June 2008
  • ISBN: 9781742284859
  • Imprint: Penguin eBooks
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 320
Categories:

Invading Australia: Japan and the battle for Australia, 1942



1942 was a key year in Australia's history. As its people had so long feared, White Australia, an outpost of empire, seemed about to be invaded by the Japanese. In that one year, Darwin was bombed, submarines torpedoed ships in Sydney Harbour and Australian Militiamen died on the Kokoda Trail.Each year, more and more Australians celebrate Anzac Day and honour the lives of those who fought for their country. There is even a push to create a new public holiday, in remembrance and celebration of the 'Battle for Australia'. But was there ever really such a battle, and how close did Australia actually come to being invaded?
Invading Australia provides a comprehensive, thorough and well-argued examination of these and other pertinent questions. Peter Stanley writes compellingly about Australian attitudes to Japan before, during and after World War II, and uses archival sources to discuss Japan's war plans early in 1942. He also shows that rather than a 'Battle for Australia' there was a worldwide fight for freedom and democracy that has allowed the West to enjoy great prosperity in the decades since 1945.

  • Published: 3 June 2008
  • ISBN: 9781742284859
  • Imprint: Penguin eBooks
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 320
Categories:

About the author

Peter Stanley

Dr Peter Stanley became Head of the new Centre for Historical Research at the National Museum of Australian in 2007. He had been Principal Historian at the Australian War Memorial, where he had worked since 1980 and where he curated the Second World War Gallery that opened in 1999. Peter is one of Australia's most productive historians in the areas of military, social and medical history. His books include Tarakan: An Australian Tragedy; For Fear of Pain: British Surgery 1790-1850 and Quinn's Post, Anzac, Gallipoli, and he is well known from his media appearances. Invading Australia is his nineteenth book.

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