Australia's Forgotten Prisoners: Civilians Interned by the Japanese in World War Two

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Cambridge University Press, Jun 18, 2007 - History - 262 pages
The Japanese captured 1500 Australian civilians during World War II. They spent the war interned in harsh, prison-like camps throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Civilian internees - though not members of the armed forces - endured hardship, privation and even death at the hands of the enemy. This book, first published in 2007, tells the stories of Australian civilians interned by the Japanese in World War II. By recreating the daily lives and dramas within internment camps, it explores how captivity posed different dilemmas for men, women and children. It is the first general history of Australian citizens interned by the Japanese in World War II.

About the author (2007)

Christina Twomey is an Australian academic historian and writer, born in Queensland. She is Head of the School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies at Monash University, Melbourne. She earned her PhD from the University of Melbourne in 1996. Her books include, and Deserted and Destitute: Motherhood, Wife Desertion and Colonial Welfare (2002), Australia's Forgotten Prisoners: Civilians Interned by the Japanese in World War Two (2007), A History of Australia (co-authored with Mark Peel, 2011), The Pacific War: Aftermaths, Remembrance and Culture (co-edited with Ernest Koh, 2014), and The Battle Within : POWs in postwar Australia (2018). Her awards include the 2018 NSW Premier's History Award, Australian History Prize for The Battle Within : POWs in postwar Australia (2018).

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