200,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Black Friday Sale on Now! Save up to 25% off Books, Toys, Board Games, & Puzzles! ✨

Barney Greatrex

From Bomber Command to the French Resistance - the stirring story of an Australian hero
By Michael Veitch
0.0 (0 reviews)
4.17 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 98 ratings, 12 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Barney Greatrex by Michael Veitch is a gripping tale that delves into the life of an Australian World War II hero. It follows Barney Greatrex's incredible journey from his school days to becoming a distinguished pilot in the Royal Air Force. The book highlights his courage and resilience in the face of war, uncovering the untold story of his daring escape and survival during some of history's crucial moments.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2999
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you're drawn to untold tales of bravery and resilience, this biography offers a remarkable journey through the life of an Australian war hero. You might enjoy it if you're interested in personal stories of courage during World War II, where the focus is on both the historical events and the human spirit. This memoir blends adventure and inspiration, making it an engaging read for those who appreciate deeply personal accounts of wartime experiences.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The incredible untold World War II story of Australian hero BARNEY GREATREX - from Bomber Command to French Resistance fighter.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The incredible untold World War II story of Australian hero Barney Greatrex - from Bomber Command to French Resistance fighter.

A school and university cadet in Sydney, Barney Greatrex signed up for RAF Bomber Command in 1941, eager to get straight into the very centre of the Allied counterattack. Bombing Germany night after night, Barney's 61 Squadron faced continual enemy fighter attacks and anti-aircraft fire - death or capture by the Nazis loomed large. Very few survived more than 20 missions, and it was on his 20th mission, in 1944, that Barney's luck finally ran out: he was shot down over occupied France.

But his war was far from over. Rescued by the French Resistance, Barney seized the opportunity to carry on fighting and joined the Maquis in the liberation of France from the occupying German forces, who rarely took prisoners.

Later, Barney was awarded the French Legion of Honour, but for seventy years he said almost nothing of his incredible war service - surviving two of the most dangerous battlefronts. Aged 97, Barney Greatrex revealed his truly great Australian war story to acclaimed bestselling author Michael Veitch.

'Fascinating . . . Veitch brings the story vividly to life' Sydney Morning Herald Pick of the Week.

'Veitch has done a wonderful job . . . a fast-paced and thrilling tale' Daily Telegraph.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Barney Greatrex has been praised for its extraordinary storytelling and fascinating narrative. Michael Veitch brilliantly weaves Barney's story with insightful connections to the broader context of the war, providing a compelling read. Reviews highlight the work as a significant addition to Australian military history.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780733640902

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 January 2019

Country: Australia

Imprint: Hachette Australia

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 124.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 240g

Pages: 352

Collections

Biography & Memoir Education & Reference History & Archaeology History & Military Michael Veitch Military History Non-Fiction Political Biographies

About the Author

Michael Veitch is well known as an author, actor and former ABC television and radio presenter. His books include the critically acclaimed accounts of Australian airmen in World War II, 44 Days, Heroes of the Skies, Fly, Flak, Barney Greatrex, Turning Point and The Battle of the Bismarck Sea. He lives in the Yarra Valley, outside Melbourne.

Also by Michael Veitch

View all
  • Borneo: The Last Campaign
    From bestselling author Michael Veitch (Australia's Secret Army, Turning Point) comes the story of the brilliant, yet controversial campaign which ended Australia's involvement in World War II. Borneo: The Last Campaign tells the story of Operation OBOE, the massive, three-pronged assault on the vast Japanese-held island of Borneo in 1945. It was one of the largest amphibious invasions of the...
    By Michael Veitch
    Paperback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Australia's Secret Army
    A Coastwatcher's work is ... to sit in hiding like a spider, right in the web of the enemy, unseen and unheard. We became the eyes and ears of the Pacific.' Reg Evans, Coastwatcher Hidden deep in the jungles and high in the mountains of the Southwest Pacific during World War II, Australia's secret army - the Coastwatchers - reported...
    By Michael Veitch
    Paperback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Battle of the Bismarck Sea
    'Readers look for and admire good writers and great writing. They will find it, in spades, in The Battle of the Bismarck Sea.' -The Canberra Times In the thick of World War II, during the first week of March 1943, Japan made a final, desperate lunge for control of the South West Pacific. In the ensuing Battle of the Bismarck...
    By Michael Veitch
    Paperback
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Turning Point
    The Battle for Milne Bay - Japan's first defeat on land in the Second World War - was a defining moment in the evolution of the indomitable Australian fighting spirit. For the men of the AIF, the militia and the RAAF, it was the turning point in the Pacific, and their finest - though now largely forgotten - hour. Forgotten,...
    By Michael Veitch
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • 44 Days
    ‘Brilliantly researched and sympathetically told, 44 Days is more than just a fitting tribute to brave but overlooked heroes. It's also a top read.’ DAILY TELEGRAPH The epic World War II story of the heroes of Australia's 75 Squadron - and the 44 days when these brave and barely trained pilots fought alone against the Japanese. In March and April...
    By Michael Veitch
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Hell Ship
    Meticulous research... Veitch fleshes out a tale of courage and tragedy and brings it to life with drama, passion and detail. Herald Sun For more than a century and a half, a grim tale has passed down through Michael Veitch's family: the story of the Ticonderoga, a clipper ship that sailed from Liverpool in August 1852, crammed with poor but...
    By Michael Veitch
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today

Browse lists from our team

The Latest at Book Hero

View all

More from Biography & Memoir

View all
  • New Release
    One Helluva Ride
    "This book is about where I came from, what I fought against, and what I chose formyself. Fame can blur the truth; this is my attempt to bring it back into focus." A legendary actor and Hollywood Icon whose five-decade career spans film, television,and producing, Michael Douglas has won two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, fiveGolden Globes, a Primetime Emmy,...
    By Michael Douglas
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    A Life in Lyrics
    Freddie Mercury was one of the greatest showmen of the twentieth century. With his unparalleled voice and searing on-stage energy, he was a great pretender, a killer queen and a champion of the world. But behind the glamour lived a musician and lyricist talented beyond measure, and the creative force behind one of the most culturally significant and musically diverse...
    By Freddie Mercury
    Hardback
    $5000
    Elsewhere:
    $6500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Nothing to Lose
    New Release
    Nothing to Lose
    There's no one as dangerous as someone who believes they have nothing to lose. Eight years ago, Nix Adams started posting videos on Facebook while she was freshly out of jail, in order to show her kids that she was sober and on the path back to them. It was after her youngest child, Alaska, died suddenly of a virus...
    By Nix Adams
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?
    Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?
    The book we've all been waiting for, national treasure Judi Dench opens her almost inexhaustible collection of memories from life and acting. Join Judi as she lifts the curtain on cherished memories and hilarious anecdotes from seven decades of performing with some of the greatest names in theatre. Step behind the camera as she reprises her most famous roles, such...
    By Judi Dench
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Drive
    New Release
    Dylan's Pick Dylan's Pick
    Drive
    A thrilling, candid and uncompromising memoir covering over twenty-years at the pinnacle of Formula 1, Drive sees Christian Horner, one of the sport’s biggest characters, take readers into the heart of Red Bull Racing as he reflects on his extraordinary career. For over twenty years Christian Horner built and ran Red Bull Racing, transforming a rookie team acquired for £1 into one...
    By Christian Horner
    Paperback
    $3999
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Book cover for 'Swan Song: Diana, my sister' by Charles Spencer, featuring a black-and-white portrait of Diana with white and gold text on a gray background.
    On Sale
    18% off
    New Release
    Swan Song
    Beautiful. Beloved. Hunted. The extraordinary life and death of Diana, as told by her brother, Charles – available to pre-order now. ‘When asked, ‘What was it like, growing up with Diana?’, my first thought is always, But I don’t know what it was like not to grow up with her…’ In September 1997, Charles Spencer stood in Westminster Abbey before...
    By Charles Spencer
    Hardback
    $4500
    Elsewhere:
    $6500
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Fictional Selves
    From the beloved actor and star of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and Sex and the City comes a candid and deeply personal memoir. In this highly anticipated memoir, the beloved actor and star of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Sex and the City and more shares his utterly original account of his offbeat journey in Hollywood, his battles with fear and...
    By Kyle MacLachlan
    Hardback
    $4799
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    The Steps
    The long-awaited memoir from a true Hollywood icon. We know Sylvester Stallone as one of the most revered actors, writers, and directors of all time, yet his life story is every bit as dramatic, intense, and inspiring as his greatest creations on screen. Bringing together a no-holds-barred account of a fascinating life with messages of hope, positivity, and resilience, in...
    By Sylvester Stallone
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    12% off
    New Release
    Shirl's Pick Shirl's Pick
    Home Again
    Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.This is more than a rock story. Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it. From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...
    By Jon Toogood
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    24% off
    Dogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About
    From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee--known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue--comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman's search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it. A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she...
    By Isabel Klee
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    12% off
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Famesick
    Chronicling the tumultuous decade between the premiere of Girls to her 2021 shotgun wedding (minus the baby, because she has no uterus), Lena Dunham takes us through her journey with her trademark mix of humor, unsparing honesty, and keen eye for detail. We peek behind the scenes - of her work, her family, her relationships, and her battle to reclaim her body...
    By Lena Dunham
    Paperback
    $2900
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    25% off
    This Angry Pen of Mine
    This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...
    By Layne Staley
    Hardback
    $5500
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 200,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.