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Darkness in Paris by Peter FergusonIn May 1940 Germany invaded France and within six weeks had triumphantly seized control of Paris. The Allies' complacency was replaced with a sense of helplessness as they were defeated by a new kind of dynamic warfare.Published 11 May, 2005
Darkness in Paris (Peter Ferguson, Scribe, $35 tpb, ISBN 1920769439, May) **** With so much literature written about the Nazi occupation of France and the Allied resistance, author Peter Ferguson was stepping on well-trodden ground when he decided to write a book about Paris in 1940. But it is a very interesting point in the war—it’s that tender stage of old Pétain and young de Gaulle, when Chamberlain stepped aside for Churchill and when Hitler’s ambition was at an all-time high. Although the jacket cover promises a focus on Paris, it does take half the book for the reader to be delivered into the heart of the Nazi invasion—but it’s worth the wait. Ferguson includes a necessary overview of World War I and the rise of Nazism, then the slow, stunned, painfully disorganised Allied response—but all in all an enjoyable journey. Ferguson never allows the reader to forget just how much hung in the balance and how close the Allies came to losing everything. The skilled narrative and clever choice of dialogue (Churchill is always a delight) creates a history that reads like a novel, and despite the obvious ending, keeps the reader turning the pages with great gusto.Erin O’Brien is AB&P’s editorial assistant This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2005, Thorpe-Bowker More from Military Book Reviews
Jackie French believes that good, historical writing really needs to come from source documents: things written at the time that give the feeling of the world as it was then, not just the facts.16 March, 2008 
Anzac Day is fast approaching. Anzac: An Illustrated History 1914-1918 by Richard Pelvin will be released in paperback this year to coincide with the day (Hardie Grant).13 March, 2008
Tales from the front
Personal accounts, biographies, histories and even guide books—Australia’s military history is the subject of a whole army of books hitting the shelves this month.5 October, 2006
The Wreck of the Batavia and Prosper by Simon Leys
The story of the wreck of the Batavia has been the inspiration for many works of fiction, nonfiction and film. Leys’ essay on the wreck begins with a curious introduction. He explains a long-held desire to write the tale of the Batavia; nervously reading all the other publications on the topic; and concluding none of them hit the mark.11 December, 2005
Beyond Belief by Roger Cross
The authors of this book, Roger Cross, a senior fellow at Melbourne University, and Avon Hudson, a campaigner for victims of British atomic tests in Australia, argue that because Australia was such an eagerly subservient ally, it was kept in the dark about the real extent of the 12 atomic tests carried out at Maralinga in the years 1952–1957, and the minor trials that continued until 1962.20 June, 2005
An Australian connection: Robert Ryan's new book, After Midnight
Robert Ryan is a pretty big deal sales-wise in the UK, where his books are regular features of the Top 10 lists. Here in Australia, his fans are not quite so legion, but that may all be set to change with the Australian connection in his latest novel, After Midnight, he told Eliza Metcalfe.13 May, 2005
Darkness in Paris by Peter Ferguson
In May 1940 Germany invaded France and within six weeks had triumphantly seized control of Paris. The Allies' complacency was replaced with a sense of helplessness as they were defeated by a new kind of dynamic warfare.11 May, 2005
Hellfire: Australia, Japan and the Prisoners of War by Cameron Forbes
Hellfire traces the experiences of the Australian, British and Allied prisoners of war under Japanese occupation during World War II. The book analyses the cultural differences, dating from the 19th century, which underpinned the attitudes of the politicians and the military on both sides of the conflict.11 April, 2005
Animal Heroes by Anthony Hill
Following on from the success of historical narratives like Soldier Boy and Young Digger that explore untold stories from Australia’s fighting past, Anthony Hill’s Animal Heroes collates and presents the important role animals have played in conflicts from the World War I to the present day. Hill’s text clearly conveys the love and admiration these animals were afforded by their handlers, comrades or adopted owners. Whether they were an intuitive kitten smuggled aboard HMAS Perth, a Doberman who defected for a tin of bully beef, or one of the 11 tracking dogs who served so valiantly in Vietnam, each animal’s story is lovingly retold through surviving memory of family members, or official documents.20 March, 2005
Well Done, Those Men by Barry Heard
Barry Heard’s quiet life on a remote Victorian farm was interrupted by ‘a very official letter in a brown envelope’ that turned up one day in 1964. He had been called up for National Service, or ‘Nasho’. A lucky brush with German measles kept him out of the army the first time around, but by February 1966 21-year-old Heard was off to the Puckapunyal army base. For a naïve country boy the army training was an adventure full of blokey bonhomie, but one that suddenly became very serious once he was stationed with a regular regiment, the 7RAR, that was about to be deployed in Vietnam.20 March, 2005 |
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