1300 187 187
The gripping story of a small force of Australian Special Forces commandos that launched relentless hit and run raids on far superior Japanese forces in East Timor for most of 1942.
These Australians were the men of the 2/2nd Australian Independent Company - a special commando unit. Initially stranded without radio contact to Australia, the Japanese declared these beared warriors outlaws and warned they would be executed immediately if captured. The Australians drawn mainly from the bush, were chosen for their ability to operate independently and survive in hostile territory. As film-maker Damien Parer said after visiting in Timor in late 1942, these men are writing an epic of guerrilla warfare .
Expertly researched by Paul Cleary, who is fluent in Tetum, the main language of the indigenous group of East Timor, it also contains insightful black and white photos.
About The Author
Paul Cleary is a senior writer with The Australian newspaper and a researcher in Indigenous development at the Australian National University. In a career spanning 20 years he has reported on politics and economics for a decade in the Canberra press gallery, and worked as a correspondent in Southeast Asia and as a political adviser. Awarded a Chevening fellowship by the UK Foreign Office to study at SOAS, University of London, he became an adviser to government of newly-independent East Timor. His work on the Timor Sea resource negotiations led to his first non-fiction book, SHAKEDOWN: AUSTRALIA S GRAB FOR TIMOR OIL. The Timor veterans whom he met while based in East Timor inspired this book. He speaks several languages, including Vietnamese and Tetum, and lives in Sydney with his partner and son.
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 1 review)
Ratings Distribution
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 1 customer
Displaying review 1
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about The Men Who Came Out of the Ground:
I bought this for my dad for christmas. His elder brother was one of the men written about in this book. My dad rarely reads but he loved this book. We all now know the details of a time my uncle didn't like to talk about. My mum and dad had both read it within 2 weeks of christmas. They both thought it was very thorough and very interesting. For us the book will become a family heirloom. It is an extraordinary Australian story. Thank you Mr Cleary.
Displaying review 1
'Paul Cleary has brought to life one of the great success stories of World War II' [Daily Telegraph]'This account . . . is breathtaking in its scope and riveting in its research.' [Sydney Morning Herald]'A cracker of a read' [The Age]
ISBN: 9780733628184
ISBN-10: 0733628184
Audience:
General
Format:
Paperback
Language:
English
Number Of Pages: 400
Published: 26th July 2011
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Dimensions (cm): 19.8 x 13.1
x 2.9
Weight (kg): 0.35
9am - 4pm AEST, Monday - Friday
