The Battle of the Bismarck Sea

The forgotten battle that saved the Pacific

By Michael Veitch
Published by Hachette
RRP $32.99 in paperback
ISBN 9780733645891

In his latest book, bestselling author Michael Veitch (Turning Point, 44 Days) tells the dramatic tale of the battle that thwarted Japan’s final, desperate lunge for the south west Pacific.

In the ensuing Battle of the Bismarck Sea, a force of land-based Australian and American planes attacked a massive convoy of Japanese warships.

In the end, the Battle of the Bismarck Sea was a disaster of immeasurable proportions for the Japanese, destroying Japan’s hopes of regaining the initiative in New Guinea.

More importantly for Australians, the victory decisively removed any possibility that Australia might be invaded by Japanese forces. Veitch, with his usual narrative flare, tells the riveting story of this crucial turning point in the war in the Pacific for which the Australian contribution has often been overlooked and the damage to the enemy exaggerated.

Despite this, Veitch writes, the battle ‘… represented a high point of cooperation and mutual respect between the young men of the two Allied nations …’.

VERDICT: A compelling and highly readable account that will be snapped up by military history enthusiasts.