{"title":"Mark Johnston","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMark Johnston\u003c\/strong\u003e offers compelling works that delve into the rich history of the Australian Army, with a particular focus on World War II. Through detailed narratives and personal accounts, his books illuminate the experiences of Australian soldiers, capturing both the strategies of pivotal battles and the human stories behind the combat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect thoughtfully researched military history that honours the sacrifices and heroism of Australia’s servicemen. Whether exploring iconic battles like El Alamein or the valor of decorated individuals, Johnston’s writing brings clarity and depth to a defining era of Australian military heritage.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"an-australian-band-of-brothers-by-mark-johnston-9781742235721","title":"An Australian Band of Brothers","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis riveting book follows a small group of Australian front-line soldiers from their enlistment in the dark days of 1940 to the end of World War II.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNo ordinary soldiers, they were members of Don Company of the Second 43rd Battalion, part of the famous 9th Australian Division, which—during campaigns in Tobruk, El Alamein, New Guinea, and Borneo—sustained more casualties and won more medals than any other Australian division. It is an evocative and detailed account of the day-to-day war of three infantry soldiers whose experiences included night patrols at Tobruk, advancing steadily through German barrages at Alamein, charging enemy machine guns in New Guinea, and repelling Japanese charges on Borneo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eInspired by American historian Stephen Ambrose's landmark book, \u003ci\u003eBand of Brothers\u003c\/i\u003e, about the US Army's Easy Company of the 506th Regiment, Mark Johnston, one of our best military historians, here gives an Australian company the same treatment. Using the frank and detailed personal letters, diaries, and memoirs of three Australian soldiers, he brings to life their campaigns, battles, and interactions with their comrades and enemies. His book is a unique and powerful account of the everyday experiences of a small unit of Australian soldiers on the front line.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46848377880812,"sku":"9781742235721","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/8258893482808.jpg?v=1758974985"},{"product_id":"derrick-vc-in-his-own-words-by-mark-johnston-9781742237244","title":"Derrick VC in His Own Words","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Haven't lost the sand, dust, flies or fleas yet, but have had them for so long now they seem part of us' — 12 August 1941, Tobruk.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Tom 'Diver' Derrick enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force on 5 July 1940, he was a 26-year-old labourer with no great prospects. By the end of 1944, he was a national hero who had risen from humble private to become a twice-decorated officer in the 9th Division's 2\/48th Battalion. On the jungle-clad heights of Sattelberg in New Guinea, he spearheaded the capture of seemingly impregnable Japanese defences, winning the Victoria Cross.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe diaries Derrick kept throughout his five gruelling campaigns, from Tobruk to Tarakan, are among the most important writings by any Australian soldier. His intelligence, humour, ambition, and fighting outlook shine through these diaries and his other wartime correspondence and interviews, published here for the first time in their entirety.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEdited and annotated by Mark Johnston, one of Australia's leading authorities on World War II, \u003ci\u003eDerrick VC in His Own Words\u003c\/i\u003e provides unprecedented insights into the mind and extraordinary career of one of Australia's most decorated and renowned servicemen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Australia's leading World War II historian reveals Australia's most intriguing Victoria Cross winner — an enticing and informative pairing!' — Professor Peter Stanley\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Brilliantly researched — a wonderful, enlightening insight into the life of Australia's most remarkable frontline soldier of World War II.' — Professor David Horner\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Few historians would be better suited to writing about the soldiers' battles, weapons and equipment during the Second World War than Mark Johnston. Over the past decade, he has become the leading historian on the experience of Australian soldiers during the war.' — Karl James, \u003ci\u003eWartime\u003c\/i\u003e Magazine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46848980222188,"sku":"9781742237244","price":47.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/8274123482808.jpg?v=1759007079"},{"product_id":"whispering-death-by-mark-johnston-9781741759013","title":"Whispering Death","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eWhispering Death\u003c\/i\u003e, Mark Johnston, one of Australia's leading experts on World War II, explains vividly how more than 130,000 Australian airmen fought Japan from the Pacific War's first hours in 1941 to its last in 1945. They clashed over a vast area, from India to Noumea, Bass Strait to the Philippines. Merely flying over that region's boundless oceans and wild weather was dangerous enough for Australia's fliers, but their formidable enemies made it much more perilous. In their Zero fighters and Betty bombers, they were initially too numerous, experienced, and well-armed for the few Australians who opposed them in Malaya, the Northern Territory, and New Guinea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFebruary 1942 brought the RAAF its darkest hour: the bombing of Darwin, which no Australian fighter planes contested. But in the months following, Australian aircrew won or contributed to great aerial victories in the air over Port Moresby, Milne Bay, the Papuan beachheads, and the Bismarck Sea. The American air force grew to dominate both the Japanese and their Australian ally, but until war's end, Australian aircrew continued to battle in Pacific skies, and to die in flaming aircraft or at the hands of vindictive captors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSome pilots, such as aces Clive 'Killer' Caldwell and Keith 'Bluey' Truscott, became household names. Certain Australian aircraft caught the public imagination too: the Kittyhawk, the Spitfire, and the plane dubbed 'Whispering Death' for its eviscerating firepower and deceptively quiet engines - the Beaufighter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAustralia's flight to victory was never smooth, thanks to internal squabbling at the RAAF's highest levels and a difficult relationship with the allies on whom Australia depended for aircraft and leadership. So controversial were the RAAF's final operations that some of its most prominent pilots mutinied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBased on thousands of official and private documents, \u003ci\u003eWhispering Death\u003c\/i\u003e makes for compelling reading.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46852677927148,"sku":"9781741759013","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/3491813482808.jpg?v=1759159737"},{"product_id":"australian-heroes-of-world-war-ii-by-mark-johnston-9781761170362","title":"Australian Heroes of World War II","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLeading military historian Mark Johnston tells stories of the courage of individual soldiers across every battle in which Australians fought in World War II.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Australians defended against Rommel's tanks at Tobruk and Alamein, tackled paratroopers landing among them on Crete, attacked French Foreign Legionnaires in Syrian forts, held off Japanese tanks in Malaya, fought hand-to-hand on the Kokoda Track, and took on well-hidden and tenacious Japanese in countless grim jungle-clad locations, brave individuals risked everything to bring victory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAustralian soldiers performed acts of remarkable bravery in the roles of stretcher-bearers and snipers, in victories and defeats, and in desert and jungle. Such astonishing deeds were often rewarded with medals, but many brave deeds went unrecognised, and whether acknowledged or not, the heroes often paid a heavy price for their courageous acts, in the form of physical injury, psychological trauma or death.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eAustralian Heroes of World War II\u003c\/i\u003e features hundreds of stories that have been rarely if ever told, and that are guaranteed to amaze.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Mark Johnston shows again why he is the premier historian of the Australian Army in WWII.' – Peter Stanley\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Mark Johnston has produced a study of battlefield bravery that is both erudite and a page turner. It is the story of ordinary Australians in extraordinary situations.' – Karl James\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'An outstanding contribution to our understanding of Australia's experience of war, and a wonderful tribute to ordinary men whose remarkable deeds need to be remembered and honoured.' – David Horner\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47000546574572,"sku":"9781761170362","price":44.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/1004773482815.jpg?v=1763283643"},{"product_id":"that-magnificent-9th-by-mark-johnston-9781741146431","title":"That Magnificent 9th","description":"A comprehensive illustrated history of the Australian 9th Division during WWII.","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47617244332268,"sku":"9781741146431","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781741146431-that-magnificent-9th.jpg?v=1778496414"},{"product_id":"the-australian-army-in-world-war-ii-by-mark-johnston-9781846031236","title":"The Australian Army in World War II","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis book\u003c\/em\u003e recounts the organisation and deployment of one of the most important fighting armies of World War II.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAustralian divisions made a large and distinctive contribution to victory both in the deserts of the Middle East and the jungles of the South-West Pacific, earning for the second time a unique reputation for aggressiveness, endurance, and independence of spirit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe text is illustrated with original wartime photos from all fronts, and with full-colour plates showing a wide range of uniforms and gear, together with the complex and colourful Australian system of unit insignia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48147882442988,"sku":"9781846031236","price":42.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781846031236-the-australian-army-in-world-war-ii.jpg?v=1786452315"},{"product_id":"el-alamein-1942-by-mark-johnston-9781761452437","title":"El Alamein, 1942","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEl Alamein, 1942\u003c\/em\u003e explores one of the Second World War’s most pivotal battles, focusing on the crucial role of the 9th Australian Division. This book examines how and why Australian forces played a defining role in the victory, prompting Field Marshal Montgomery to declare that success would have been impossible without their contribution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eStructured around the three key phases of the Alamein campaign – First Alamein (July 1942), the static phase (July–October 1942), and Second Alamein (October–November 1942) – the book details strategic decisions, leadership dynamics, and battlefield tactics that shaped the outcome. It also highlights the harsh realities of desert warfare, exploring personal stories of Australian soldiers, including three Victoria Cross (VC) recipients.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBeyond the battlefield, the book delves into lessons learned from Alamein, particularly in infantry–armour coordination, air–ground support, and large-scale artillery operations – all of which remain relevant to modern military strategy. Leadership is a central theme, from Australian commanders to British high command, analysing how their decisions influenced the campaign’s success.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is ideal for military professionals, history enthusiasts, and general readers seeking to understand the significance of Alamein in Australian military history. By shedding light on the heroic efforts and sacrifices of Australian soldiers, it ensures that the legacy of one of the Second World War’s greatest turning points is remembered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48241161044204,"sku":"9781761452437","price":40.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/fc2a5dd263b8e266612014a510b8bb73.jpg?v=1788127046"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/mark-johnston.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}