Kokoda (by Peter FitzSimons)

By: Peter FitzSimons

Narrated by: Lewis FitzGerald

Length: 16 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

For Australians, Kokoda is the iconic battle of World War II, yet few people know just what happened and just what our troops achieved. Now, best-selling author Peter FitzSimons tells the Kokoda story in a gripping, moving story for all Australians.

Conditions on the track were hellish - rain was constant, the terrain close to inhospitable, food and ammunition supplies were practically non-existent, and the men constantly battled malaria and dysentery, as well as the Japanese. Kokoda was a defining battle for Australia - a small force of young, ill-equipped Australians engaged a highly experienced and hitherto unstoppable Japanese force on a narrow, precarious jungle track - and defeated them.

©2005 Peter FitzSimons (P)2013 Audiobook recording produced by Evan Croker.

A very moving and graphic account.

This book gives a very moving and graphic account of the first time the Japanese Imperial Army was defeated on land during World War 2. It describes how a battalion of Australian Army Reserve soldiers slowed the advance of the Japanese across New Guinea long enough to allow the arrival of battle seasoned Australian Army Regular soldiers from the Middle East. Eventually, the Australians pushed the Japanese back and defeated them.

Outstanding!

An amazing story. Strong performance. Any history enthusiast would enjoy this. And I'm not even Australian.

Loved every word!

As someone whose Uncle was in the 39th battalion in Kokoda, this was an amazing insight.

Unbelievable heroism!

This tale of gallantry and heroism will touch your heart. The story should be required listening (or reading) by any person who cares about true devotion.

Indomitable spirit

I had never heard of Kokoda before listening to this book. That is a shame. I am not likely to forget the name now. This is one of the more amazing chapters in the annals of war.

It is very much a story of the indomitable spirit of common soldiers called upon to perform impossible tasks with inferior equipment, little or no training, some of the worst terrain in the entire world and stupid, pig-headed leadership at the highest level. FitzSimons does a fine job of keeping us engaged with the narrative even as the action of the men on the ground is reduced to an interminable, repetitious slog between indefensible positions which are held in the face of overwhelming odds and casualties only to be given up as the serial holding actions continue. He does this by giving us detailed and moving accounts of individuals and etching in our minds indelible images of moments of extraordinary heroism and gallantry. Nor does he fail to include Japanese participants among these glimpses of war's exquisite anguish. In addition we are regularly taken to the rear to witness the unpardonable, ego-driven pig-headedness of MacArthur and the Australian high command which failed the troops in almost every way.

This is an account made all the more gripping because it played such a pivotal role in turning the tide of the Japanese expansion in the South, holding the door shut while the U.S. put Marines in place on Guadalcanal where they would dig in to face their own ghastly ordeal. Without Kokoda, there would have never been a victory at Guadal and the war would doubtless have lasted significantly longer. The poorly trained, unprepared, mostly unsupported men of the Australian home defense forces at Kokoda deserve to be remembered with reverence, and this book tells their story brilliantly. I highly recommend it.

Awesome book

What did you love best about Kokoda?

The overall story

What did you like best about this story?

How the soldiers hate to fight in such horrible conditions

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book made me realize how difficult life is for the military

Fair Dinkum Tough

A powerful historic tale of the heroism vs despotism. The story, which is of a war more than a battle, is well read and moves from misery to triumph many times. I think I now better understand why Truman decided to drop Little Boy and Fat Man rather than fight a ground war on the Japanese home islands. The respect veterans I've known have for their Austrailian counterparts makes more sense now. What these fellas did should live in memory beside Thermopoli, Gettysburg, the Battle of Britain, and Stalingrad.

New Guinea is never easy!

Excellent narrative of harrowing battles in terrible place. Good picture of this not from US point of view. Incompetence at the top in Australia and US.

Well written and intriguing with just a bit too much John Wayne

This is a wonderful account of Australia’s wartime experience in PNG. I am only a bit frustrated by the fact that the author, while repeatedly commenting on the horror and absurdity of it all, still defaults to some of the old school tropes and attitudes about the individual soldier experience. Occasionally Japanese deaths are very personal but usually it feels more like watching a John Wayne movie with tough guy one-liners from strapping and fearless Aussie blokes, the narrator embellishing with seemingly ridiculous tropes that ultimately end up glamorizing the conflict more than is necessary. The conflict is inherent ‘glamorous ‘ (read: relevant, important, heroic, terrifying, withering…) by dint of how awful and astounding it was not to mention the madness of it all, it doesn’t need a narrative voice to push the story into the realm of chest-thumping propaganda.

That said, it becomes a valuable reflection of how Aussies want to feel when they read about their troops: they want to feel pride and honor. The thing is: we can do all that without overlooking the fact that this wasn’t a movie or a game. There’s no shame in the small defeats from either side. The whole thing is tragic and heroic on its own. The reason this sort of presentation is a problem is that it robs is of a chance to truly gain what is most valuable from these lessons: a personal reminder of how destructive and senseless wars are and why they should be avoided. The author does this for the most part, but can’t seem to help himself sometimes. I suppose that’s not a terrible offense when it comes down to it, but it’s worth mentioning.

The Aussies in New Guinea

If you could sum up Kokoda in three words, what would they be?

Fascinating, Informative, Inspiring.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The typical Australian home guardsman. What grit!

What does Lewis FitzGerald bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great variety in narration. Compelling, actually. Clear enunciation enhanced with appropriate accent.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Kokoda: Unparalleled Herorism.

Any additional comments?

This would be a fabulous movie. It needs to be made. It would be expensive but no more so than The Red Line, which was rather a disappointment. There are many talented Australian actors who could play the parts. In the hands of the right production team this is a potential Oscar winner for sure.