Books

FIGHTER

The True Story of The Battle of Britain

Author: Len Deighton Penguin Books Pages: 336 in paperback RRP: $24.95 ISBN: 9780241505373

The Battle of Britain in World War II between Britain’s Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe, Nazi Germany’s air force, was the first battle in history fought solely in the air. From July to October 1940, pilots and support crews on both sides took to the skies and battled for control of the airspace over Great Britain, Germany and the English Channel. The powerful, combat experienced Luftwaffe conducted unremitting air raids over Britain, hoping to conquer their enemy easily, but the RAF proved a formidable opponent. Immortalized by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill - “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” A myth-busting, page-turning history of the Battle of Britain History is swamped by patriotic myths about the aerial combat fought between the RAF and the Luftwaffe over the summer of 1940. Fighter is a gripping history of the Battle of Britain, drawing on a decade of research and the author’s wartime experiences to puncture these myths and point towards a more objective, and even more inspiring truth.

THE COLLABORATOR

Author: Diane Armstrong Harlequin Enterprises (Australia) Pty Ltd Pages: 496 in paperback RRP: $16.99 ISBN: 9781867207948

Hero or traitor? Based on astonishing true events set in the darkest days of World War II in Budapest, an enthralling story of heroism, vengeance, passion and betrayal. It’s also the story of three women linked by a secret that threatens to destroy their lives. It is 1944 in Budapest and the Germans have invaded. Jewish journalist Miklos Nagy risks his life and confronts the dreaded Adolf Eichmann in an attempt to save thousands of Hungarian Jews from death camps. But no one could have foreseen the consequences... It is 2005 in Sydney, and Annika Barnett sets out on a journey that takes her to Budapest and Tel Aviv to discover the truth about the mysterious man who rescued her grandmother in 1944. By the time her odyssey is over, history has been turned on its head, past and present collide, and the secret that has poisoned the lives of three generations is finally revealed in a shocking climax that holds the key to their redemption. The Collaborator is a powerful and compelling story from a turbulent time.

THE PATHFINDERS

The Elite RAF Force that Turned the Tide of WWII

Author: Will Iredale Penguin Books Pages: 400 in paperback RRP: $35.00 ISBN: 9780753557815

The untold story of the elite force that spearheaded almost every British bombing raid over Nazi Germany. The Pathfinders were the crack team that transformed the hit rate in the RAF's Bomber Command from 24% in August 1942 to an incredible 96% hit rate by 1945. They transformed Bomber Command - the only part of the Allied war effort capable of attacking the heart of Nazi Germany - from an impotent division on the cusp of disintegration in 1942 to a force capable of razing whole German cities to the ground, inspiring fear in Hitler's senior command and helping the Allies deliver decisive victory in World War II. Featuring exclusive interviews with remaining survivors, personal diaries, previously classified records and never-before seen photographs, The Pathfinders brings to life the characters of the airmen and women -- many barely out of their teens - who took to the skies in iconic British aircraft such as the Lancaster and the Mosquito, facing almost unimaginable levels of violence from enemy fighter planes to strike the heart of the Nazi war machine.

AFTER THE TAMPA

From Afghanistan to New Zealand

Author: Abbas Nazari Allen & Unwin Books Pages: 368 in paperback RRP: $32.99 ISBN: 9781988547640

It’s been 20 years since Norwegian Cargo Ship the ‘Tampa’ mercifully saved more than 400 people from an overloaded, sinking fishing boat adrift in the Indian Ocean. Seven-year-old Abbas Nazari and his family were among refugees fleeing war torn Afghanistan and the persecution of the Taliban. Their search for a better life became a traumatic journey and one of the largest maritime rescues in modern history. They would wade into Australian waters during the lead up to a national election and an international stand-off would soon follow - the country closing its doors to asylum seekers and implementing a hard-line policy of offshore detention. The refugees would spend a month at sea before the Australian Government made the decision to relocate them to Nauru for processing. The lucky few, including Abbas and his family, were resettled in New Zealand with the promise of rebuilding their lives. After The Tampa is a powerful, inspiring and heartwarming story filled with hope, relevant to our time, clearly addressing the issue of racism and ongoing plight faced by refugees displaced across the world.