The Battle of the Generals 

MacArthur, Blamey and the defence of Australia in World War II

by Roland Perry

Published by Allen and Unwin
RRP $34.99 in paperback | ISBN 9781761470493 

Their names must surely resonate with every person familiar with Australia’s military history: Macarthur and Blamey. Their backgrounds could not have been more different.

Douglas Macarthur was born into a military family, following his father into the army, urged on by his ambitious mother.

Thomas Blamey, on the other hand, was the son of a drover and one of ten children who came to the army via his part time cadet role, learning valuable lessons from General Sir John Monash during WWI.

Fast forward to 1942. The Japanese have stormed the Philippines, forcing US general Douglas MacArthur to flee with his family, escaping by the skin of their teeth to the nearest safe country— Australia.

Meanwhile, Australia’s foremost general, Thomas Blamey, is ordered home from the Middle East by Prime Minister John Curtin to tackle the military emergency suddenly facing our nation, with Japanese invasion appearing imminent.

These two generals, both with colourful pasts and intensely clashing personalities, were now tasked with defending Australia against the Japanese war machine. One will lead us to victory, the other will claim the glory. 

In The Battle of the Generals, Roland Perry has brought into sharp focus the battle of two great personalities who played major roles in the war in the Pacific.

He reveals the depths of MacArthur’s distain for Blamey and his attempts to undermine him with Curtin. Did he fear Blamey’s exceptional talent and previous military success? 

Early on, Blamey pointed out the problem of allowing MacArthur ‘supreme command’ of all forces, effectively allowing him to decide how Australian troops would be deployed, instead of their own government.

In the end, Blamey triumphed as a tenacious Australian military leader. MacArthur, an egotist to the end, basked in the public recognition Japanese surrender brought him.

VERDICT: An engaging and highly readable book.