The Kokoda Campaign 1942: Myth and Reality

by Peter Williams

Overview

The fighting on the Kokoda track in World War II is second only to Gallipoli in the Australian national consciousness. According to the legend, Australian soldiers were vastly outnumbered by the Japanese, who suffered great losses as a result of Allied fighting and the harsh conditions of the Kokoda track. In this important book, Peter Williams seeks to dispel the Kokoda Myth. Using extensive research and Japanese sources, he explains what really happened on the Kokoda track in 1942. Unlike most other books written from an Australian perspective, this book focuses on the strategies, tactics and battle plans of the Japanese and shows that the Australians were in fact rarely outnumbered. For the first time, this book combines narrative with analysis to present an undistorted picture of the events of the campaign. It is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the truth of the Kokoda Campaign of 1942.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107015944
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/02/2012
Series:	Australian Army History Series
Pages:	324
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.87(d)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction; 2. Strategy; 3. Military intelligence; 4. The Nankai Shitai; 5. From the landing to Deniki; 6. Isurava; 7. Guadalcanal and Milne Bay; 8. The Japanese build-up; 9. First Eora-Templetons; 10. Efogi; 11. Ioribaiwa; 12. Japanese artillery; 13. Malaria and dysentery; 14. The Japanese supply crisis; 15. Second Eora-Templetons; 16. Oivi-Gorari; 17. The war in the air; 18. Conclusion.