Very Ordinary Officer describes itself on the cover as the social and naval story of a Yorkshire-born Australian called Geoff Feasey. The two strands of the story run side by ...
Book Review: Atlantic Odyssey
Title: Atlantic Odyssey Author: Michael Thwaites Publisher: Self-published This is a fascinating account of a little-known aspect (in Australia at least) of the Battle of the Atlantic, seen through the ...
Book Review: Nothing to do with me, I’m Radar!
Title: Nothing to do with me, I’m Radar! Author: P.R.H. (Lofty) Watson Publisher: Self-published On the inside cover, this book describes itself as “a segment of Royal Australian Navy history, covering ...
Book Review: Our Shetland Heritage and Emigration to Australia
“Our Shetland Heritage and Emigration to Australia” by Janet Halcrow Basically, this is a family history of the fifth, sixth and seventh generations of the Halcrows, probing their Shetland background ...
Book Review: The Vung Tau Ferry
THE VUNG TAU FERRY – HMAS SYDNEY and Escort Ships (Vietnam 1965-72) By Rodney Nott and Noel Payne 1998 has certainly been a bumper year for Australian Naval histories concerning the ...
Book Review: Shipmates
Many of our readers will be familiar with Vic Cassells as the author of “For Those in Peril“, which chronicled the loss of RAN ships and men in past conflicts. ...
Book Review: H.M. Bark Endeavour: Her Place in Australian History
Book Review: King of the Australian Coast
Title: King of the Australian Coast. Author: Marsden Horden Publisher: Melbourne University Press at the Miegunyah Press In 1813 James Byrne crossed the Blue Mountains. James who? Byrne did, but we ...
Book Review: Via Torres
Title: Via Torres Strait Author: Ian Nicholson Publisher: Roebuck Society Publication No. 48, Nambour, 1996 This book in the Roebuck Historical Series is a maritime history of the Torres Strait shipping ...
Book Review: North of Gallipoli – The Black Sea Fleet at War 1914-17
Some years ago Commander (E) George Nekrasov, RAN gave a talk to the Naval Historical Society of Australia in Sydney on this topic. Subsequently he continued his research into the ...
Book Review: The Shame of Savo Island
The Battle of Savo Island in which HMAS CANBERRA was lost has been the subject of many books, analyses and articles, but in his powerful and enthralling work the author ...
Book Review: Lost ships of Guadalcanal
THE LOST SHIPS OF GUADALCANAL By Robert D. Ballard, Published by Warner/Madison Press This is another book by one of the world’s foremost oceanographers and undersea explorers. Robert Ballard is already ...
Book Review: The Battle of the Wine Dark Sea
No other sea presents so many mysteries to the naval historian as the Aegean. Battles have been lost and won in this island-studded waterway since antiquity but none were more ...
Book Review: Blue Watch, All the Blue Watch
“Blue Watch, All the Blue Watch” By John Allerton I have not read the “1st Impression” of John Allerton’s book but this “2nd Impression” of this record of his service ...
Book Review: Q Class Destroyers and Frigates
“Q CLASS DESTROYERS AND FRIGATES OF THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY” (Destroyers 1942-1956) (Frigates 1953-1972) by Trevor Weaver, Published by The Naval Historical Society of Australia. At last a book has been ...
Book Review: The Quay to the Sea
By Captain Surtees M. Rothery The story begins with the author as a young lad growing up in the Vaucluse area of Sydney in the 1920s. Captain Rothery paints a ...
Book Review: Small Ships at War
“SMALL SHIPS AT WAR” By Iris Nesdale There has been for quite some time, a need for the story of the Small Ships of the RAN, below Corvette size in ...
Book Review: The Customs History of Australia 1788-1901
“Smugglers and Sailors – The Customs History of Australia 1788-1901 ” Author: Dr David Day. An AGPS Press publication “Smugglers and Sailors” is a story of truly epic proportions. It ...
Book Review: Australia’s Navy 1992-93
This edition of the Navy’s Annual provides a colourful insight into the activities, roles and developments taking place within the Royal Australian Navy. It includes articles on: a. the Navy ...
Book Review: History of HMAS Maryborough
The History of H. M.A.S. Maryborough by Barney Ogle M.A., ex RANR, Murray & Ogle Pty Ltd, 1993. 240pp. Barney Ogle’s book on the history of the Australian-built Corvette, HMAS MARYBOROUGH ...
Book Review: Mutiny on the Bounty
The Story of Captain William Bligh, seaman, navigator, surveyor and of the BOUNTY mutineers State Library of New South Wales 1991, Five authors, plates in col & b&w, Ind, 104 ...
Book Review: The Third Brother
Chris Coulthard-Clark, 533 pages, illustrated, Allen and Unwin, Australia. In the spate of 50th Anniversary war books it comes as rather a surprise to have a book celebrating the 70th ...
Book Review: Action Stations Coral Sea
Chris Coulthard-Clark, Allen & Unwin Australia Pty Ltd 157 pages, illustrated. This thoroughly researched account of the first important, sea battle in the South Pacific in World War 2 is ...
Book Review: The Midget Submarine Attack on Sydney
Lew Lind, Bellrope Press, 74 pages with illustrations and maps. The Japanese midget submarine attack on ships in Sydney Harbour occurred almost fifty years ago and yet is still a ...
Book Review: Silencing debate on Shropshire
Mr Stan Nicholls wants to silence debate on what did and did not happen to HMAS Shropshire during World War II. So he has written a 330-page hard-cover book on ...