The Spirit of Kokoda

The Spirit of Kokoda celebrates the remarkable achievements of the Australian Diggers who fought battles along one of the most difficult pieces of terrain on earth. This revised edition contains a new intro and foreword, a 'virtual trek' and more photos. 1942 was the year that Australia lost its innocence. By the time the Diggers faced the Japanese invaders in Papua New Guinea, any impartial observer would surely have concluded the Allies had already lost the war. By mid-1942,the Japanese conquests had far exceeded Hitler's, controlling a part of the world three times the size of Europe and the US combined. They were, literally, at Australia's doorstep. Most of the soldiers on the Kokoda Track were about 18 years old, and most had never held a gun, let alone fired a shot. Outnumbered six to one, they nonetheless managed to force the Japanese to 'advance to the rear'- the Japanese do not have a word for 'retreat'. The Sydney Swans use the Track as part of a mentorship program, and to help lend some structure to their young players' lives. The book contains accounts by the Swans who have done the trek.