The Shock of the Light

Tessa and Theo are twins and thus have always experienced a close relationship. They live in Cambridge, England, but as their mother is French the twins, especially Tessa, have learned to speak French and have visited that country. Their father is a professor at the university. When the twins complete their secondary education the plan is that they should both study at Cambridge. Although the university accepts female students they are not entitled to graduate with a degree so Tessa decides to go to France and study for a degree at the Sorbonne. This is the first time that their lives take separate paths.

While in Paris Tessa becomes friends with an artist named Luc. Then something happens to break that friendship which Luc does not understand. Tessa returns home. When war breaks out Theo enlists in the RAF. Tessa has a secretarial job but is then told to go for an interview allowing her to help in the war effort. Her family is not to be told what she is doing.

After training Tessa ends up working for the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and is parachuted into France to assist members of the Resistance and to report  secret messages back to London. It soon become obvious that someone is attempting to sabotage the mission.

The first part of The Shock of the Light by Lori Inglis Hall is Tessa's story. Part two is told from Theo's perspective. Part three is set in London in 2003 where a PhD student, Edie is writing a thesis on the SOE and she makes contact with Theo to find out what happened to Tessa. Edie also wants to know why Tessa's story was never made public.

This novel provides a study of the women who worked in the SOE but also examines the effect of war on members of families, especially when a family member disappears without a trace. This book provides a compassionate study of the effects of war on families, especially when they are attempting, without success, to discover what happened to their loved ones.

The Secret Society of Librarians

After completing their library studies in 1936, Jo, Joyce, Grace, Beth, Evelyn, Clara, Annie and Dorotha decided to form the Secret Society of Librarians (SSL) and produce a newsletter Libertatem per Lectio.  Most of the women worked in libraries in various parts of England while Dorotha returned to her home country, Poland. Then in 1939 Hitler's army invaded Poland and England was at war with Germany. The last that the SSL hear from Dorotha is a letter Joyce receives requesting that the SSL assist Adela, her young sister, when she escapes Poland to travel to England. Adela initially works with a family that has left London for a house in the country.

The Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson tells the story of life in England during the Blitz and in a Jewish ghetto in occupied Poland through the eyes of Joyce in London and Dorotha in Poland. Members of the Secret Society of Librarians resolve that if people cannot come to their libraries then the role of the librarians is to get the books to the people. Many of the libraries are bombed along with homes, shops and factories. However the women strive, when possible, to make reading material available to those who need to read books as a distraction from the devastation occurring around them.

In some cases parts of libraries can still be used but library staff carry books to people who cannot visit a library. Joyce makes it her mission to establish a mobile library. Libraries are also established in underground shelters. Library staff also conduct reading sessions for young children.

The story is revealed via Joyce's life in London during the Blitz and Dorotha's struggle for survival in Poland, especially when family members disappear. In London Joyce takes responsibility for looking after Adela who helps her with the library projects. When the war ends the SSL hear no news from Dorotha.

Once again Kate Thompson has written an important account of the effects of war on ordinary people and the resilience of people in their attempts to survive. The novel is also about the importance of books and reading in the lives of ordinary people, particularly in times of stress, and how libraries and librarians are an important part of communities.

At the end of the novel the author includes extensive historical notes relevant to events in the story plus excerpts of oral histories from people who experienced the Blitz in London. 

Atonement

It is 1935 and thirteen year old Briony Tallis is spending time with her family at their country house in England. As three of her cousins have joined them, Briony decides to organise them to take part in the performance of a play she has written. This plan is easier said than done.

Part one of Atonement by Ian McEwan deals with events occurring in the Tallis household in1935  including a secret relationship between Briony's older sister, Cecelia, and  Robbie Turner. Briony, who loves writing, observes events as they occur around her and makes assumptions about what she notices. Unfortunately she jumps to incorrect conclusions that destroys relationships between family members and friends.

Part two deals with the the horrific experiences of British and French soldiers endeavouring to reach the north coast of France for the Dunkirk evacuation between 26 May and 4 June, 1940.

Part three provides us information about Briony's experiences during the war when she working as a nurse in London hospitals and witnessing the often severe war injuries of rescued soldiers. On a day off she also visits the wedding of two of the protagonists from part one of the book and later that day has an encounter with her sister and Robbie. She is looking for a way to make amends for her past behaviour.

The plot then jumps to 1999 when Briony attends a celebration for her birthday in a hotel which used to be the family home. By this time she has become a successful author but her last novel will not be able to be published until after her death and the death of two of the protagonists in the book. The reader also becomes aware of a twist that occurred in part three of the novel.

Atonement is a book about family relationships, class, impact of war, guilt and the need for atonement as well as what is really required to become a writer. The novel, published in 2001, was nominated for many awards, winning some, and was made into a film in 2007. It is one of Ian McEwan's best known novels.

This Novel Had Everything - Penguin Books 

Atonement by Ian McEwan is a meditation on creativity in later life - The Conversation

Dunkirk evacuation - Britannica

Atonement (novel) - Wikipedia

Question 7

In Question 7 Richard Flanagan weaves biography, history, memoir and historical fiction in one book. Some of the topics covered include the experiences of the author's father as a prisoner of war in Japan, Leo Szilard and the bombing of Hiroshima, relationship between H G Wells and Rebecca West, a look at the little known futuristic books by H G Wells including one on an atomic bomb, treatment of Indigenous peoples in Tasmania, rivers and near death experiences - snippets of his family story and observations on world events and life are all interwoven in one short book.

The title of the book, Question 7, is based on a question asked by Anton Chekhov in his story, Questions Posed by a Mad Mathematician.

This title was one of the books considered for possible discussion by the Monash Alumni Book Club in March 2026. 

Richard Flanagan Question 7 - Whispering Gums March 2024

Question 7 - ANZ LitLovers Lit Blog January 2024

Question 7 review - The Guardian November 2023

The atomic bomb and a near death experience ... - The Conversation November 2023

Code of Silence: How Australian women helped win the war

A number of books have been written about the importance of codebreaking to win the Second World War. In Code of Silence Diana Thorp has written an informative account of the importance of Australian women during World War II who carried out top secret work for the military in the efforts to defeat the Japanese advance towards our country.

The book is based on interviews and written accounts by women who secretly worked in many locations throughout the country. The women were involved in collecting and deciphering messages intercepted from the enemy and passing them on to authorities. Some worked in intelligence, others worked in logistics or various supporting roles. They were all aware of the importance of secrecy and were careful to never discuss their work, including with family.

The book also provides background information about the effect of war on Australia as well as on the lives of some of the women when the war ended. This book is an important contribution to understanding the history of Australia during the Second World War as well as the role of women in the twentieth century. Detailed bibliography and notes are at the back of the book. 

The author ends her book with the following:

The small number of women in this book represent the thousands who voluntarily transformed their lives to take on unprecedented roles in the fight for their country. Their contributions were extraordinary, yet most remain unknown. This book is an attempt to reclaim, and to remember, these women's place in our history. 

All the Light We Cannot See

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is a novel set in France and Germany during the Second World War. Although most of the story is set during the war there are also sections set in the 1930s and more recently. The novel largely consists of alternating chapters telling the experiences of Marie-Laure in France and Werner in Germany. There is also the story of a German Army Officer who is determined to find a special stone that he believes will cure him.

Marie-Laure and her father escape from Paris to Saint-Malo and move in with Marie-Laure's great uncle. Marie-Laure is blind but her father has made models of the streets where they live to assist her in navigating her local area. Werner is an orphan living in a children's home with his sister, Jutte. He is a very bright boy with the aptitude to use and repair short wave radios. This ability earns him a place in a military school where he can expand his knowledge but also learn to be a soldier. 

The novel describes the experiences of these young people from different countries as their lives are drastically altered by war. As the story progresses the effects of war on ordinary people becomes more obvious as the shortage of food increases and bombing intensifies. Still these two young people strive to keep alive and help others when they can. Throughout the novel both the characters have access to short wave radio which they use in different ways - the radio waves providing the light we cannot see. 

All the Light We Cannot See won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2015. 

Strangers in Time

World War II and the Germans are bombing London. At the beginning of the war Molly Wakefield was one of the children evacuated from London to country areas. Now fifteen, Molly has returned home to discover that her parents are no longer there. Molly's former nanny still lives in the house and provides Molly with some information about her parents but she obviously needs to know more. Molly then meets thirteen year old Charlie Matters, an orphan trying to survive on the streets of London. It is when they meet Ignatius Oliver, the owner of a book shop The Book Keep, that they begin to encounter a little stability in a time of chaos. However surviving in London in 1944 is not easy, especially for those with additional personal challenges.

Strangers in Time by David Baldacci provides a vivid overview of living in London as the bombs still fall on the city some nights. Parts of the city, including Molly's house, have been destroyed. Ignatius is an air-raid warden so he experiences the devastation of the falling bombs as he tries to persuade Londoners to take appropriate shelter. The only way for Charlie, Molly and Ignatius to survive is to work together and support each other. The three also work together to find the answers to questions relating to their family story.

SAS Shadow Raiders: the ultra-secret mission that changed the course of WWII

The Special Air Service - SAS - in Britain was established in 1941 to go into enemy territory on special missions. SAS Shadow Rangers by Damien Lewis looks at the first operations of SAS. The first excursion into Italy was not a success but in 1942 when the British were sent a photograph of a radar unit on a beach in France it was decided to stage a raid to capture the radar equipment.

Groups of paratroopers landed near Bruneval and then proceeded to secure the beach from the Germans stationed there. One team of paratroopers dismantled the radar and packed it into carts to transport the equipment to the sea where boats were waiting to collect the soldiers and equipment to return to England. Unfortunately all did not go to plan but the English scientists and engineers did eventually receive the equipment enabling them to become aware of how the Germans were using radar. The expedition was declared a success.

Information learned about the construction of the German radar unit assisted the TRE staff in Malvern in their work on projects to improve radar surveillance of the coast warning of approaching enemy aircraft. They were also creating radar units for use in aircraft to alert them of approaching enemy planes and also to assist in navigation, especially when on bombing raids. The author also discusses the implementation of Windows, a system to confuse enemy radar.

SAS Shadow Raiders by Damien Lewis is an informative book about this important mission during the Second World War told from the viewpoint of the many men involved in this courageous and dangerous undertaking.

The Radar Army: winning the war of the airwaves

The Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) was one of the major secret research centres that contributed to the war effort of the Allies during the Second World War.The Radar Army by Reg Batt provides a detailed account of some of the work of TRE from when he joined as a young researcher in 1940 until the end of the Second World War. Despite the name, TRE, use of radar was the major focus of the research there.

In this book this author describes some of the projects undertaken including the development of centimetre technology and H2S to produce radar systems for aerial navigation, aid to locating bomb sites, plus warning of oncoming aircraft on planes and also on land during the day and at night. The author provides a detailed account of the progress of the research including what worked and what didn't work. He also discusses the other research centres that TRE worked with in order to solve the challenges presented. Although TRE was part of the airforce there was also contact with researchers in the army and navy.

TRE made a number of moves during the war including several years at two locations at Swanage in Dorset. In May 1942 TRE was relocated to Malvern College at Malvern. The author describes the challenges in moving the equipment and staff of a major research establishment in three weeks.

The Radar War provides a detailed insight into the challenges faced by scientists and engineers as they raced against time to develop practical equipment to assist the military and protect the general population in Britain. 

Science Comes to Malvern: TRE a story of radar 1942-1953

Science comes to Malvern by Ernest Putley provides a brief introduction to the important work undertaken by the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) during the Second World War. TRE was transferred to Malvern in May 1942 where it operated from Malvern College during the war. At the end of the war TRE was transferred to another location in Malvern.

Like the code-breaking work undertaken at Bletchley Park, the research in use of radar undertaken by TRE staff at Malvern College was top secret and made an important contribution to the military in defeating Germany. 

The author worked at TRE and chapters in the book provide an introduction to different secret projects undertaken during the war including an overview about ground radar, centimetres, airborne radar and use of radio during the war. There is also a chapter about co-operation with the Americans also stationed in Malvern as well as a brief section on further research after the war.

There are a number of books available about the important secret work undertaken at TRE but Science Comes to Malvern provides a short introduction to the important work undertaken by that organisation in radar research and development.

Sister Viv

Most Australians will have heard of Sister Vivian Bullwinkle and the massacre of Australian nurses by a group of Japanese soldiers during the Second World War. In Sister Viv Grantlee Kieza provides a detailed, readable story about the sixty-five nurses who escaped from Singapore as the Japanese took the island only to have their ship bombed and sunk and then having to struggle to reach land and then be captured by Japanese soldiers.

Many of the nurses plus others who had been on the ship did not make it to the shore but one group of twenty-two nurses, including Viv, made it to Radji Beach on Banka Island near Sumatra. The nurses were separated from the other survivors, forced back into the water and shot. Viv was the only nurse in this group to survive. She was then a prisoner of war for more than three years.

Grantlee Kieza provides a detailed account of the mistreatment of nurses by the Japanese in the prisoner of war camps. At the first camp Viv was reunited with other nurses who had escaped Singapore and they remained as a group as they were moved from one location to another. In the various prison camps the prisoners lived in squalor and had little food. Disease was rife and many of the nurses died. Still those remaining worked as a team assisting each other and trying not to give up hope until eventually peace was declared and they could return home. 

After the war Viv continued to work as a nurse holding senior positions in major hospitals. She never forgot her colleagues who had died during the war and made sure that their story was told. There is now a statue of Viv at the Australian War Memorial and a memorial at Radji Beach in remembrance of the massacre and the twenty-one Australian nurses who were murdered at the site. 

White Mulberry

In 1928 Korea was occupied by Japan. Eleven year old Miyoung lives in a village with her mother and one of her sisters where she attends the local school. Miyoung has a good relationship with her teacher who suggests that she should continue her education. Her older sister has just had a marriage arranged for her and Miyoung does not want the same thing to happen to her.

Eventually it is decided that Miyoung should go to Japan to attend school and live with her sister and her new husband. Miyoung soon discovers that students from Korea are not welcomed by Japanese students. To fit in, she adopts a Japanese name, Miyoko, but life is still extremely difficult. Miyoung wants to continue her studies but cannot afford the cost so finds work as a nurse's aid and a maid. Meanwhile she meets Hojoon and they have a son, Ko-chan. However when Hojoon dies, Miyoung once again has to decide how she can earn money to support her son. What she really wants to do is to return to Korea but by this time Japan is involved in the Second World War making the decision to travel home more difficult.

White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton is a novel based on the life of the author's grandmother and her father. It is a story of living in a time of challenge and mistrust. It is a world of hatred but love and understanding may still be found as Miyoung is determined to make a good and safe life for her young son. The novel is also a study of a young woman choosing to live her own life in an environment where females are meant to be subservient.

This book was one of three books selected as a possible title for discussion by the Monash Alumni Book Club in August-September 2025.  

The Mademoiselle Alliance

1940s France and Marie-Madeleine finds herself in charge of a resistance network against Nazi Germany called The Alliance. Being a woman there are additional challenges however she soon has the full support of the Alliance membership.

The Mademoiselle Alliance by Natasha Lester is an account of the work of resistance groups from mid May 1940 until the Germans are defeated in France in September 1944. The end of the Second World War in Europe was declared on 8 May 1945. 

This work of historical fiction is based on a number of actual events and provides a human overlay to the valuable work undertaken by resistance members, often in harsh conditions. For Marie-Madeleine there are additional challenges as she is a mother of three children who she cannot have contact with. Towards the end of the novel she also faces the knowledge that Leon, her lover, has disappeared and she does not know if he is alive or dead.

The Mademoiselle Alliance is a compassionate telling of the horrors that war brings to all people and how people respond respond. 

Marie-Madeleine Fourcade - Wikipedia 

Marie-Madeleine Fourcade - Spartus Educational  

Marie-Madeleine Fourcade - Chemins de memoire

The Limestone Road

This was an appropriate book to read during the week before Anzac Day.  

The Limestone Road by Nicole Alexander is the story of Canning Christie and his father Michael as they try to make a new life for themselves after returning from serving in the Australian armed forces in North Africa during the Second World War. They were both injured during the same battle and repatriated home. The Australian Government had initiated a Soldier Settlement Scheme providing land for returned soldiers to farm. Canning and his father had acquired a property near Mount Gambier in South Australia.

Part of the property had been planted with tobacco plants which were ready to harvest. Michael quickly developed plans to increase the size of the plantation but Canning wanted to focus on the vineyard which was also established on their land. Initially they tried to work on both crops. 

For the first five years the land belonged to the government and there were many regulations that had to be observed. However it was also possible to have the assistance of Italian POWs, especially during harvest. This caused additional problems as both Canning and Michael had been fighting against Italian soldiers overseas. Canning also had assistance from Bastian who was avoiding authorities as during the First World War he had been interned because he was German and wanted to avoid that happening again.

The above issues affected the lives of both Canning and Michael as they attempted to adapt to living a life without war. Both the men had incurred severe physical injuries but they were both also suffering from shell shock, now referred to as PTSD. Canning, in particular, suffered from regular nightmares and, often, what  could be considered as ordinary incidents could aggravate past memories.

In The Limestone Road Nicole Alexander has written a moving historical fiction novel describing the challenges faced by many soldiers attempting to adapt to a 'normal' life after serving in wars overseas.

The Bookover's Library

One of the advantages of reading novels is often discovering aspects of history. On visits to  England we had been aware of Boots the Chemist stores. However, through reading The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin, I know now that Boots the Chemist also housed circulating libraries in their shops from the late 1800s. This historical fiction novel also provides information about living in England during the Second World War. 

Emma Taylor lives in Nottingham. She is a widow with a young daughter and is trying to find a job to help pay the bills. However this is a time when women were required to leave work when they married. Emma's luck changes when she is employed at the Booklover's Library at the local Boots the Chemist store on the condition that people do not know that she is married. 

Mixing work with being a mother is not easy and Emma faces many challenges but is assisted by a friendly landlady who offers to look after Olivia after school. But then World War Two arrives with the threat of German air attacks and Emma realises that Olivia would be safer living with a family in the country.

This is a story about community, understanding difficult people and, of course, the value of books and reading in providing support to individuals. The knack of choosing the right book for a person is a special skill that Emma has. It is also a book about the effects of the Second World War on families and the efforts of communities to work together. It is also about how danger and challenges can create opportunities for people to work together and sometimes form new friendships and relationships.

Book-lovers Library - Gold Star Guides

The Bletchley Riddle

In 2015 we visited Bletchley Park when we on a cricketing holiday in England and spent several hours exploring the location where so many people worked to break German Enigma codes during the Second World War. I was pleased, therefore, to see that a new historical fiction novel based at Bletchley Park had been written for middle-school age children. 

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin explores the attempts of Lizzie and Jakob Novis to find out what happened to their mother, Willa, who was in Poland when Hitler's forces invaded that country. Jacob works at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire. The Official Secrets Act means that he cannot tell anyone, including his family, where he is working or what what he does. His young sister, Lizzie was left in London and was meant to be travelling to America to stay with her grandmother. Instead she decides to remain in England and also finds herself at Bletchley Park.

Before leaving London, Lizzie found a small book that had belonged to her mother, which she hopes might help her solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance. With her new friends, Marion and Colin, Lizzie tries to decipher the significance of the book and also a series of coded messages that she and Jacob receive. Then the Germans start bombing London and other parts of England.

As well as providing an exciting story with puzzles to solve, The Bletchley Riddle, provides background information about life in England during the Second World War. It also provides an insight into the important work of the codebreakers at Bletchley Park.

The Battle of the Generals

Australian author, Roland Perry, has written a readable account of the battle of egos between MacArthur and Blamey during the second World War in his latest book, The battle of the generals: MacArthur, Blamey and the defence of Australia in World War II.

The Americans, led by General Douglas MacArthur, arrived in Australia in 1942 after the Japanese army captured the Philippines. MacArthur was determined to return to the Philippines as soon as possible to retake the islands but the attempted invasion of Papua New Guinea by the Japanese slowed down his plans. 

General Blamey was in charge of the Australian forces but MacArthur ensured that he was in charge of military proceedings even though the Australian soldiers were far more experienced than their American counterparts as they had experience fighting overseas before returning to Australia to defend their country.

The Australian forces did most of the fighting in Papua New Guinea although some American units were involved towards the end of the campaign. MacArthur's publicity campaign, however, made it look as if he was responsible for allied victories. When the campaign to retake the Philippines began, MacArthur was determined that Australian troops should not be involved as they might be shown to be superior to American forces. There was also tension between the American navy and other military forces.

When the Japanese began attacking the Australian coastline the Australian government tried to obtain additional aeroplanes and ships from the UK and the USA but MacArthur indicated to the Americans that Australia was well supplied. This did not improve the relationship between Blamey and MacArthur. Winston Churchill had made it clear that his emphasis was on Europe though some equipment was sent towards the end of the war.

Both the generals had character flaws that impeded relationships with troops and other military and political leaders from time to time. However, reading this book, I felt more sympathetic towards General Blamey who had extensive previous military experience in both the First and Second World Wars compared with his American counterpart who had his eyes set on political aspirations once the war was over.

The Royal Librarian

Sophie Klein was living with her family in Vienna when Hitler annexed Austria. Sophie had promised her mother that she would take care of her younger sister, Hanna, but where could they go? As her father's family was Jewish, staying in Austria was not an option.

Sophie managed to find a place for Hanna with a group of other young children being shipped to the United States. Sophie had worked in libraries and as she was fluent in German and English she eventually managed to find a position working in a library in England where part of the job description was to translate German documents into English. The library position was at the Royal Library at Windsor Castle.

In this work of historical fiction by Daisy Wood, we learn of Sophie's life and challenges from 1938 until 1943. The story is also told from the viewpoint of Lacey Jones who lives in Philadelphia in 2022. One day Lacey discovers that her grandmother had been born in Austria and that her grandmother had a sister who had worked in England in the Royal Library. Lacey decides to go to England to try and find out about her great aunt's story and why her grandmother never mentioned her sister.

The Royal Librarian is a work of fiction laced with historical facts but the information about living in the castle during the war is mainly fictional. However the author creates an atmosphere of what living in Austria and England was like during the Second World War, including the fears faced by the citizens of England as they waited for the impending German attack. It is another readable book about the challenges of living in England during the Second World War.

The Changi Book

When the British surrendered to the Japanese on 15 February 1942, Australian soldiers were marched to the army barracks at Changi which was to be a prison for prisoners of war until the Japanese surrendered on 2 September 1945.

The Changi Book edited by Lachlan Grant provides a summary of life in Changi before presenting a collection of articles written by prisoners of war from the 8th Division about aspects of life in Changi. The book also contains cartoons, paintings and photographs made secretly by the prisoners in the camp. This compilation was published in 2015.

At the time of the British surrender, 130,000 British troops including 15,000 members of thee 8th Division became prisoners of the Japanese. Members of the 8th Division were marched to Changi on 17 February. Although they were prisoners of the Japanese they remained with their units and military leaders. The 8th Division was housed at Selarang Barracks previously occupied by 900 Gordon Highlanders and their families. Consequently accommodation was cramped and facilities inadequate for the 15,000 soldiers. The first task was to make the area livable for so many men. The Australian General Hospital was also transferred to Changi.

At Selarang Barracks there was lots of land but the buildings had been damaged during bombing raids. There were no kitchens, no showers, no means of transport and no tools. Food kitchens were built from strips of galvanised iron. Water was obtained from several wells. Latrines had to be constructed. As well as making the area that was to be their new home livable, soldiers were allocated to Japanese working parties, including the erection of a barbed wire fence around the prison.

Access to food for the soldiers was minimal and food that was provided was of poor quality. The soldiers also needed to work out how to cook ingredients with some flavour and nutritional value - not an easy task with rice and sometimes small quantities of fish the only ingredients. Some of the soldiers established contacts with men outside the compound arranging for goods to be brought into the camp on the black market. Grass was also boiled in water to be used for adding nutrition to the food. Outbreaks of dysentery occurred periodically.

The men created their own entertainment including concerts presented by unit entertainers and concert parties. An education scheme was established encouraging the soldiers to learn something new and reduce boredom. This was not always successful. Another major problem was that the men had no access to information about the rest of the war until they eventually managed to acquire a radio. Over three and a half years the men were allowed to send only five postcards home. The first mail from home was received in March 1943.

Life for the men in Changi was not easy but it was much worse for the thousands of soldiers chosen for work camps in Burma, Thailand and Borneo. Thousands of men died on these expeditions and those who returned were mere skeletons. An outbreak of cholera had killed many men in these work parties. Compared with life in these camps, life in Changi was generally better.

Those living in Changi had to be resilient. The essays written by some of the men tell of how many of the men made the best of a bad situation.

The Long Road to Changi

When I discovered that an uncle was interned in Changi during the Second World War I decided to try and find out more about this part of Australian military history.  The Long Road to Changi by Peter Ewer attempts to investigate how Singapore fell to the Japanese and how Britain's claim to have the resources to protect the region proved to be a myth. 

Many British accounts of events at this time blame Australian soldiers for being unruly and poorly trained. The author provides a case to dispel this myth and demonstrates the failures of the British government and military to provide adequate British forces and equipment, particularly ships and planes to protect Singapore and Malaya.

This book is a well researched and written account of events and decisions that led to the fall of Singapore in 1942. The soldiers on the ground are revealed as the real victims of poorly conceived strategies to protect them and the territory they are trying to protect. Like Gallipoli and the invasion of Greece and Crete, the protection of Singapore and Malaya was another British organised disaster. 

Due to the Japanese taking Singapore and Malaya, thousands of Australians and other allied soldiers became prisoners of war. Australia now had to depend on the military forces of the United States to help it protect its shores and neighbouring countries from possible Japanese invasion.