War at the End of the World: Douglas MacArthur and the Forgotten Fight for New Guinea, 1942-1945

Product Description

One American soldier called it 'a green hell on earth.' Monsoon-soaked wilderness, debilitating heat, impassable mountains, torrential rivers, and disease-infested swamps - New Guinea was a battleground far more deadly than the most fanatical of enemy troops. Japanese forces numbering some 600,000 men began landing in January 1942, determined to seize the island as a cornerstone of the Empire's strategy to knock Australia out of the war. Allied Commander-in-Chief General Douglas MacArthur committed 340,000 Americans, as well as tens of thousands of Australian, Dutch, and New Guinea troops, to retake New Guinea at all costs.

What followed was a four-year campaign that involved some of the most horrific warfare in history. At first emboldened by easy victories throughout the Pacific, the Japanese soon encountered in New Guinea a roadblock akin to the Germans' disastrous attempt to take Moscow, a catastrophic setback to their war machine. For the Americans, victory in New Guinea was the first essential step in the long march towards the Japanese home islands and the ultimate destruction of Hirohito's empire. Winning the war in New Guinea was of critical importance to MacArthur. His avowed 'I shall return' to the Philippines could only be accomplished after taking the island.

In this gripping narrative, historian James P. Duffy chronicles the most ruthless combat of the Pacific War, a fight complicated by rampant tropical disease, violent rainstorms, and unforgiving terrain that punished both Axis and Allied forces alike. Drawing on primary sources, War at the End of the World fills in a crucial gap in the history of World War II while offering readers a narrative of the first rank.

'A vivid and well-researched chronicle of a 'forgotten fight' that was crucial to Allied victory...... War at the End of the World gives those who were part of this forgotten fight the recognition they deserve.' The Wall Street Journal

'Duffy tells the story of this pivotal part of the war in clear prose and in great detail.' The American Spectator

'Historians will both admire and envy James P. Duffy's War at the End of the World, for he has done what so few of us can do: He has provided a dramatic and informative narrative history of an otherwise unknown but essential part of our history. Duffy's account of Douglas MacArthur's conquest of New Guinea restores to its proper place one of the greatest, and most brilliant, military campaigns in American history. Beautifully written and carefully researched, Duffy's narrative will now take its place as the standard history for a too-long-ignored campaign.' Mark Perry, Author of The Most Dangerous Man in America

'Reaching deep into the jungles of New Guinea, James P. Duffy resurrects the spirit of MacArthur, Yamamoto, and the men who fought with rifle and bayonet for the Pacific War's pivotal island. With swift pace and an unerring sense of drama, War at the End of the World brings to life the brutal campaign that transformed General MacArthur from American hero to Allied conqueror.' Jonathan W. Jordan, New York TimesBestselling Author of American Warlords and Brothers Rivals Victors

'In War at the End of the World, James P. Duffy has restored to the nation's memory a forgotten chapter of World War II, the four-year struggle for the world's largest island, New Guinea. At stake was the future of Australia and the reputation of America's best-known general, Douglas MacArthur. Don't miss this vivid, superbly narrated drama, which will leave you with a fresh reservoir of pride in our fighting - and thinking - soldiers.' Thomas Fleming, Author of The Illusion of Victory: America in World War I

'With stylish narration, James P. Duffy breathes