Vietnam : The Australian War

This superb illustrated edition of the award-winning Vietnam: The Australian War brings together for the first time some of the most memorable, shocking and rare images of the war with the the award-winning text. Above all, it captures in unforgettable images the little-reported 'Australian war' and sets this extraordinary visual legacy in its proper context by sharing the stories behind the photographs. Not only are the big Australian battles - at Long Tan, Coral and Balmoral - bought to light, but also the struggle at home and how politicians of all stripes utterly failed the troops, almost half of who were conscripted on the throw of a dice. Thousands of servicemen returned to Australia to be met with hostility or indifference. Having voted overwhelmingly to send the soldier to war, the Australian people then turned and condemned him for going. Whatever one's view of the war, the Australian soldiers, sailors and airmen did their duty - with courage and, in the main, restraint. Indeed, as this classic account shows, the Australian people shared responsibility for this tragic episode that sealed the fate of 50,000 servicemen and women. This is their story - told for the first time using some of the finest photographs of the longest major war of the 20th century.

Paul Ham is the author of the highly acclaimed Kokoda (HarperCollins, 2004) and the Australia correspondent of the London Sunday Times. He was born and educated in Australia and lives in Sydney, having spent several years working in Britain as a journalist and publisher.