• War at the End of the World

  • Douglas MacArthur and the Forgotten Fight for New Guinea 1942-1945
  • By: James P. Duffy
  • Narrated by: Joe Barrett
  • Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (98 ratings)

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War at the End of the World  By  cover art

War at the End of the World

By: James P. Duffy
Narrated by: Joe Barrett
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Publisher's summary

One American soldier called it "a green hell on Earth". Monsoon-soaked wilderness, debilitating heat, impassable mountains, torrential rivers, and disease-infested swamps - New Guinea was a battleground far more deadly than the most fanatical of enemy troops. Japanese forces numbering some 600,000 men began landing in January 1942, determined to seize the island as a cornerstone of the empire's strategy to knock Australia out of the war. Allied commander-in-chief General Douglas MacArthur committed 340,000 Americans, in addition to tens of thousands of Australian, Dutch, and New Guinean troops, to retake New Guinea at all costs.

In this gripping narrative, historian James P. Duffy chronicles the most ruthless combat of the Pacific War, a fight complicated by rampant tropical disease, violent rainstorms, and unforgiving terrain that punished both Axis and Allied forces alike. Drawing on primary sources, War at the End of the World fills in a crucial gap in the history of World War II while offering listeners a narrative of the first rank.

©2016 James P. Duffy (P)2016 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

"Beautifully written and carefully researched." (Mark Perry, author of The Most Dangerous Man in America)

What listeners say about War at the End of the World

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent! Highly detailed.

The only thing that I didn’t like about it was that several of the names of places in PNG were mispronounced. There was obviously a great deal of research that went into the book, I would suggest that also include correct pronunciation as well for an audiobook. Overall, that is a very minor criticism for an excellent book and an incredible story.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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truly stunning

thrilling book which keeps the reader ingaged through its entirety. would listen again as the presenter has a great voice for the book

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • JB
  • 05-08-22

We’ll done. At least what is included. The last 34 min of the book is missing.

Very disappointed that I couldn’t hear the end since it is incomplete.
Very well told details. I cringed at the terrible pronunciations of location names. At least the reader should have researched the correct pronunciation for “Lae”, “Madang”, “Wewak”, and many others that he butchered with uninformed lingo.
Other than that, a good listen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Generally Ignored History

This is the first account of the New Guinea campaign I’ve read/listened to, concentrating, instead, on the Navy/Marine Corps’ Central Pacific thrust. I had no idea the scope of the effort and its affect. This account is comprehensive and detailed. The narrator engaging. Highly recommended.

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Worth your time

A fine basic synopsis of an under discussed WW 2 Pacific campaign well told and narrated.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great

Thorough yet compelling look at war with an equal balance of tactics and logistics.

But, would be nice to have maps!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The WW2 New Guinea Campaign

Narration: Typical Joe Barrett...clear, interesting inflection (although attempted imitations of Australian accent falls flat).

Content: Interesting, important, informative chronology of the New Guinea campaign. Only audiobook focusing on this little known, crucial campaign. Well worth a listen.

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