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The Battle Within

POWs in Post-war Australia
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( 16 ratings, 1 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
The Battle Within by Christina Twomey delves into the psychological struggles and inner battles faced by soldiers both during and after their time at war. It explores the emotional scars left by military conflicts and the often overlooked personal journeys toward healing and understanding. Through a historical lens, Twomey provides insight into the complex intersection of war, mental health, and resilience.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$9900

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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?

You might enjoy this engaging historical narrative if you're interested in the psychological impact of war on soldiers and their post-war experiences. The book offers a detailed exploration of how military conflicts shape individual psyches and society's response to these challenges. It provides insightful analysis relevant to both history enthusiasts and readers interested in the human aspects of warfare.

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Head-aches. Dizziness. Can't sleep. Bad dreams (never have been released). The rice jungle had some compensation to some of us who just don't seem to make a success of our return - ROBERT, A RETURNED POW

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

Head-aches. Dizziness. Can't sleep. Bad dreams (never have been released). The rice jungle had some compensation to some of us who just don't seem to make a success of our return – ROBERT, A RETURNED POW

This landmark and compelling book follows the stories of 15,000 Australian prisoners of war from the moment they were released by the Japanese at the end of World War II. Their struggle to rehabilitate themselves and to win compensation and acknowledgement from their own country was just beginning. This moving book shows that 'the battle within' was both a personal and a national one.

Prize-winning historian Christina Twomey finds that official policies and attitudes towards these men were equivocal and arbitrary for almost forty years. The image of a defeated and emaciated soldier held prisoner by people of a different race did not sit well with the mythology of Anzac. Drawing on the records of the Prisoner of War Trust Fund for the first time, this book presents the struggles of returned prisoners in their own words. It also shows that memories of captivity forged new connections with people of the Asia-Pacific region, as former POWs sought to reconcile with their captors and honour those who had helped them. A grateful nation ultimately lauded and commemorated POWs as worthy veterans from the 1980s, but the real story of the fight to get there has not been told until now.

'In a highly readable and superbly researched book, Twomey shows how Australian POWs in Japan moved from being an embarrassment on the periphery of Australian consciousness to finding a place near the centre of our collective memory of war.' – Frank Bongiorno, Australian Book Review - Books of the Year 2018

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The Battle Within by Christina Twomey is praised for its accessible writing and in-depth research. It explores the shifting perceptions of Australian POWs in Japan, highlighting their journey from obscurity to becoming central figures in Australia's war memory.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781742235684

Publisher: NewSouth Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 February 2018

Country: Australia

Imprint: NewSouth Publishing

Audience: General / adult, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 154.0mm

Height: 231.0mm

Weight: 465g

Pages: 320

About the Author

Christina Twomey is Head of the School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies at Monash University, Melbourne. She is the author of three books, A History of Australia (co-authored with Mark Peel, 2011), Australia’s Forgotten Prisoners:Civilians Interned by the Japanese in World War Two (2007) and Deserted and Destitute: Motherhood, Wife Desertion and Colonial Welfare (2002). Christina has also published widely on the cultural history of war, with a focus on issues of imprisonment, captivity, witnessing, the photography of atrocity, gender and memory.

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