The Top Brass is the most comprehensive study of Australian generalship in the Second World War, revealing how the Army chose, tested and judged its senior leaders. Based on decades of research and rare interviews by Australia’s leading soldier-scholar, it’s a gripping account of leadership, conflict and command under fire
A bold, authoritative, and long-overdue study of Australia’s wartime military leadership.
Who led Australia’s army through the Second World War and how well did they perform? The Top Brass is the first book to critically examine the performance of every senior Australian commander across the full span of the conflict. From North Africa to Kokoda, and from field operations to the back rooms of Canberra, this groundbreaking work offers a sweeping and deeply human look at leadership in war.
Military historian and award-winning author David Horner draws on decades of research, including rare interviews with wartime generals, extensive archival research and previously unpublished material. This is not just a study of battles – it’s a study of leadership under pressure; the development of command talent; and the personal rivalries, political tensions, and institutional challenges that shaped Australia’s war effort.
Whether you are a military history enthusiast, serving defence professional, academic researcher, or general reader, The Top Brass offers a compelling and timely exploration of leadership and the burdens of command.
About the Author
David Horner is an Emeritus Professor in the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University. A graduate of the Royal Military College, Duntroon, he was an infantry platoon commander in Vietnam and retired from the Australian Regular Army as a lieutenant colonel. With a PhD from the Australian National University, he became an academic, and as an Army Reserve colonel was head of the Army’s Land Warfare Studies Centre. He is the author or editor of thirty-seven books, as well as author of numerous articles on military history, strategy and defence.
David was general editor of the six-volume Official History of Australian Peacekeeping, Humanitarian and Post-Cold War Operations. In 2015 his history of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, The Spy Catchers, won the UK Intelligence Book of the Year prize and was joint winner of the Australian Prime Minister’s prize for history. He is a Member of the Order of Australia for services to higher education and is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.
