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Travels in Atomic Sunshine Click to enlarge
Travels in Atomic Sunshine
By Robin Gerster
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Travels in Atomic Sunshine

By (author) Robin GersterSee other recent books by Robin Gerster

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In February 1946, the Australians of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force moved into western Japan to 'demilitarise and democratise' the atom-bombed backwater of Hiroshima Prefecture. For over six years, up to 20,000 Australian servicemen, including their wives and children, participated in a historic experiment in nation-rebuilding dominated by the United States and the occupation's supreme commander, General MacArthur. It was to be a watershed in Australian military history and international relations. The Chifley government wanted to make Australia's independent presence felt in post-war Asia-Pacific affairs, yet the venture heralded the nation's enmeshment in American geopolitics. This was the forerunner of today's peacekeeping missions and engagements in contentious US-led military occupations. The occupation of Japan was also a compelling human experience. It was a cultural reconnaissance - the first time a large number of Australians were able to explore in depth an Asian society and country.

ISBN: 9781921215346
Classification: Australasian & Pacific history , Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000 , International relations
Format: Hardback (234mm x 163mm x 38mm)
Pages: 340
Publish Date: 27-Oct-2008
Country of Publication: Australia

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0 star rating by Boomert - Travels in Atomic Sunshine by Robin Gerster 13 Jan 2010
This book tells the story of the Australian contingent of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) who, in 1946, entered western Japan to ‘demilitarise and democratise’ the atom-bombed backwater of Hiroshima. Drawing extensively on diary entries, papers and personal interviews with Australian soldiers, Gerster paints an intricate portrait of the moral and cultural disorientation felt by the Aussie ‘conquerors’ as they came to terms with not only an enemy decimated by atomic horror but also their own inherent prejudices. While this particular slice of Australian history is both compelling and grossly under-reported, Gerster perhaps does himself a disservice by relying on too many ‘voices’ to get the story across. This oral history-style of historical writing has gained popularity in recent times, but for my palate it’s a little too scattered to truly carry an overall narrative. That said, the book is an immense achievement of research and a timely reminder of the tightrope balance of foreign occupation, a message that has particular relevance in today’s post-9/11 climate. It will be particularly popular among avid history readers looking for a new angle on the wartime Australian experience.

Christopher Currie is the buyer for Avid Reader in Brisbane, and writes a short story every day at www.furioushorses.com

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker

Author Biography: Robin Gerster
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Recent books by Robin Gerster » View all books by Robin Gerster

Occupying the
Occupying the 'Other': Australia and Military Occupations from Japan to Iraq, Hardback (March 2009)
Travels in Atomic Sunshine
Travels in Atomic Sunshine, Hardback (October 2008)
On the Warpath
On the Warpath, Paperback (April 2004)
Legless in Ginza: Orientating Japan
Legless in Ginza: Orientating Japan, Paperback (August 1999)
Hotel Asia
Hotel Asia, Paperback (September 1995)
Big-Noting
Big-Noting, Paperback (December 1992)
Seizures of Youth
Seizures of Youth, Hardback (September 1991)
» View all books by Robin Gerster
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