Roland Perry (1)

Roland Perry’s 2024 book The Battle of the Generals takes a look at the relations between the American General, MacArthur, and the Australian General Blamey during World War II. It also spends a significant percentage of its pages covering the battles between Australian and Japanese troops in Papua New Guinea, which was then a protectorate of Australia within the British Empire.

As a reader, you’d be forgiven, based on the title of the book, for expecting some detail about sour relations show more between MacArthur and Blamey, maybe even some direct confrontations. There’s very little of that. Perry does lay out some of the ways that the two men worked around (and against) each other in attempting to maintain the favor of then Australian Prime Minister John Curtin — maneuvering that brought to my mind “office politics” rather than “battles”.

Perry writes with somewhat of a chip on his shoulder. He clearly feels that the US general MacArthur, a showman who knew how to work a crowd and influence public opinion, gets more credit for the defense (defence in the Australian spelling) of Australia than the General specifically placed in charge of the country’s defense, Thomas Blamey.

Now I’m not an Australian, I’m just an American who has had the good fortune of spending many months visiting Australia over the last few years. I love history and bought this book with an interest in learning more from an Australian perspective.

So, I’m clearly no expert on Australian public opinion. While I know from my own reading of American histories that MacArthur’s weaknesses as well as his strengths are well known in the US, I wouldn’t be surprised to be told that MacArthur still benefited among Australians from the “halo” of his PR efforts while based in Brisbane during World War II. From my own experience in my time here I do know that some older Australians definitely maintain a pretty hagiographic view of the US military.

So perhaps Blamey doesn’t get the respect he deserves from Australians. Another example I guess, of the prophet not getting honor among his own. Regardless, I can’t help but feel the book doesn’t live up to its title, given the shortcomings I noted above.

Unfortunately, I also felt it lacked detail and “fighting man” perspective in its history of the battles of New Guinea. Most of the battle stories were about the actions of the generals and troop leaders and those stories were then shoehorned into the overall theme of the perceived “battle” between MacArthur and Blamey. Blamey is said to have fired some of the leaders on the ground not because he necessarily agreed they had not led well, but because he feared for his own job if he didn’t fire them, due to McArthur planting seeds of doubt in the ears of Prime Minister Curtin. If that’s a correct reading of events (and who am I to say it’s not) it doesn’t speak well for any of the three men.

I wished for more of a front-line perspective to the action in New Guinea. A lot of Australians lost their lives repelling the Japanese from New Guinea and thus protecting the Australian mainland. Seeing things through their eyes would be the kind of history I’d like to read. I need to go looking for that book, I guess.

RATING: Two and a Half Stars ⭐⭐🌠 show less

THE ASSASSIN ON THE BANGKOK EXPRESS is the second book in a series sub-titled "The Honourable Assassin", the first (with that title) released in 2015. Set, needless to say in Asia, they feature Vic Cavalier as the central protagonist. Cavalier is a newspaper reporter and freelance secret agent, with a long history of working in Asia. Long enough to have a daughter with his now ex-wife, a Thai doctor, his daughter having been kidnapped by the head of a Mexican Drug cartel with tendrils into show more Thailand, and Bangkok in particular.

If you've not read the first book there's enough back story in BANGKOK EXPRESS to give you an idea of the lead up - helped in the ebook version by an extensive walk through of the action from THE HONOURABLE ASSASSIN at the start.

Cavalier has an unusual set up, journalist and freelance secret agent isn't a combination that has a precedent as far as this reader can remember, so that might take a while to get used to. As will the style of the storytelling which is formal, particularly when it comes to dialogue which is precise, detailed and not always convincing as conversational. This was frequently unfortunate as the action is reasonably well paced, and whilst the plot is complicated and will require some suspension of disbelief, overall it's quite compelling.

The novel does, however, transmit great authority when it comes to the setting. There's a palpable sense of place and culture, right down to scenery, weather and people's day to day behaviour. There's nice insight into the ex-pat life in Bangkok and a brave undertaking in making Cavalier reactions to his ex-wife (a complicated woman battling mental illness) not always consistent or sympathetic.

That sense of place, and the complications that drug wars bring to communities struggling with poverty are strong aspects to this novel, and readers who aren't bothered by the slightly old-fashioned, mannered way of relating a current day plot may find THE ASSASSIN ON THE BANGKOK EXPRESS an enthralling prospect.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-assassin-bangkok-express-roland-p... show less

I can’t imagine the Changi concentration camp after the fall of Singapore could have been much fun but the Australian rules football competition would have helped pass the time.

Roland Perry recreates the competition, with particular coverage of Peter Chitty, the former St Kilda player who won the Changi Brownlow. A great story, told well and it’s just a shame that Chitty didn’t live to see the publication of Changi Brownlow.

Favourite quotes:

Pg 436 - in such a dictatorial mood that he made Hitler look democratic
Pg 521 - the Australian blitzkrieg continued for a record 721 in the day.

A good biography by Roland Perry and a good insight into The Don. The book does concentrate on Bradman's innings in great detail rather than details of his life, what made him tick, his motivations etc. We get great details of the strokes he played in all his big innings and details of his captaincies. How did he become the greatest show more cricketer to ever live? We don't really find out. Remember his test average is around 50% better than the next greatest ever player, achieved on uncovered wickets, no protection and hostile bowling. Not like the batters paradises we have now.

The Don comes across as a driven, single-minded, intelligent individual, the author is obviously a big fan of his subject, indeed a little in awe. However, as above, sometimes the language does stray into a bit flowery. The later chapters could also do with a bit of proof reading.

However an enjoyable read show less