Fighting the Enemy
Australian Soldiers and their Adversaries in World War II

This book, first published in 2000, is a compelling study about men with the job of killing each other during WWII.

Mark Johnston (Author)

9780521782227, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 16 April 2000

238 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.52 kg

Review of the hardback: ' … an excellent and very highly recommended book. On one level, a good history of Australian conflicts in World War II. On another level, the very personal experiences of Australians in battle. On yet another level, a study of group Australian behaviour in times of conflict and crisis.' Law Society Journal

Fighting The Enemy, first published in 2000, is about men with the job of killing each other. Based on the wartime writings of hundreds of Australian front-line soldiers during World War II, this powerful and resonant book contains many moving descriptions of high emotion and drama. Soldiers' interactions with their enemies are central to war and their attitudes to their adversaries are crucial to the way wars are fought. Yet few books look in detail at how enemies interpret each other. This book is an unprecedented and thorough examination of the way Australian combat soldiers interacted with troops from the four powers engaged in World War II: Germany, Italy, Vichy France and Japan. Each opponent has themes peculiar to it: the Italians were much ridiculed; the Germans were the most respected of enemies; the Vichy French were regarded with ambivalence; while the Japanese were the subject of much hostility, intensified by the real threat of occupation.

Acknowledgements
Conventions and Abbreviations
Introduction
Part I. War in the Middle East: 1. The Italians
2. The Germans: the real enemy
3. The Germans: mutual respect
4. The Vichy French
Part II. War In The Pacific: 5. The Japanese: most encountered, most hated
6. The Japanese: sources of hate
7. The Japanese: questions of quality
8. The Japanese: empathy, compassion and incomprehension
Conclusion
Appendix A. Fifth Columnists
Appendix B. Orders of Battle of Australia's Enemies
Notes
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Military life & institutions [JWT], Second World War [HBWQ], Australasian & Pacific history [HBJM], European history [HBJD]