The Path of Infinite Sorrow: The Japanese on the Kokoda Track
Mar 2012 · Allen & Unwin
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'We were all skin and bone, as if our stomachs were stuck to the inside wall of our back.'
Two armies, Japanese and Australian, each in turn pushing the other back along a muddy, precipitous track over the mountainous spine of New Guinea. Few prisoners were taken, most were shot. War conventions were routinely flouted, by both sides. Troops were reduced to a primal level, such were the inhuman conditions in which battles were waged. This was the Kokoda campaign of 1942.
The Australian experience of Kokoda has been told often and told well. The Japanese, however, remain the shadowy enemy lurking in the dense undergrowth, better known for atrocities than their participation in battle. The Path of Infinite Sorrow tells for the first time the story of the campaign from the Japanese point of view. Based on personal accounts and the recollections of six Japanese soldiers, captured diaries and the unit diaries of the Australian forces, this powerful re-examination of Kokoda brings a new perspective to one of the most brutal conflicts in Australian war history.
Craig Collie has been a television producer for over 35 years. Hajime Marutani is a translator-interpreter and was a researcher for the Australian War Memorial's Australia-Japan Research Project. They met when working on the production team of Beyond Kokoda, the award-winning documentary series screened on The History Channel in Australia. Craig and Hajime live with their families in Sydney and Tokyo respectively.
Two armies, Japanese and Australian, each in turn pushing the other back along a muddy, precipitous track over the mountainous spine of New Guinea. Few prisoners were taken, most were shot. War conventions were routinely flouted, by both sides. Troops were reduced to a primal level, such were the inhuman conditions in which battles were waged. This was the Kokoda campaign of 1942.
The Australian experience of Kokoda has been told often and told well. The Japanese, however, remain the shadowy enemy lurking in the dense undergrowth, better known for atrocities than their participation in battle. The Path of Infinite Sorrow tells for the first time the story of the campaign from the Japanese point of view. Based on personal accounts and the recollections of six Japanese soldiers, captured diaries and the unit diaries of the Australian forces, this powerful re-examination of Kokoda brings a new perspective to one of the most brutal conflicts in Australian war history.
Craig Collie has been a television producer for over 35 years. Hajime Marutani is a translator-interpreter and was a researcher for the Australian War Memorial's Australia-Japan Research Project. They met when working on the production team of Beyond Kokoda, the award-winning documentary series screened on The History Channel in Australia. Craig and Hajime live with their families in Sydney and Tokyo respectively.
'We were all skin and bone, as if our stomachs were stuck to the inside wall of our back.'
Two armies, Japanese and Australian, each in turn pushing the other back along a muddy, precipitous track over the mountainous spine of New Guinea. Few prisoners were taken, most were shot. War conventions...
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Ratings and reviews
4 reviews
Brian Treloar
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November 4, 2015
A truly wonderful story yet such a very realistic portal of the most horrible war.
1 person found this review helpful
Amphib Aav
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September 1, 2016
This book definitely dipped in blood. Very gory description of a very bloody and brutal campaign.
About the author
Craig Collie and Hajime Marutani met when they worked on the production team of Beyond Kokoda, the award-winning documentary series screened on The History Channel in Australia.
Craig Collie has been a television producer for over 35 years. In 2011 he authored Nagasaki. He lives in Sydney.
Hajime Marutani is a translator-interpreter and was a researcher for the Australian War Memorial's Australia-Japan Research Project. He is currently pursuing Japan-PNG trade projects in Papua New Guinea. He lives in Tokyo.
Craig Collie has been a television producer for over 35 years. In 2011 he authored Nagasaki. He lives in Sydney.
Hajime Marutani is a translator-interpreter and was a researcher for the Australian War Memorial's Australia-Japan Research Project. He is currently pursuing Japan-PNG trade projects in Papua New Guinea. He lives in Tokyo.
Craig Collie and Hajime Marutani met when they worked on the production team of Beyond Kokoda, the award-winning documentary series screened on The History Channel in Australia.
Craig Collie has been a television producer for over 35 years. In 2011 he authored Nagasaki. He lives in Sydney.
Haji...
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