The definitive biography of one of the great heroes of the Kokoda Trail, this recollection tells the story of one of Australia’s great World War II battalion commanders. Written by a leading authority on the subject who had access to private letters and papers, this gripping, action-packed narrative describes the war’s battles in North Africa, Greece, Crete, and Papua New Guinea. Yet, at its heart, this is the story of a remarkable man, covering events from his adolescence in the last vestiges of pioneering Australia to his distinguished political and diplomatic career, spanning nearly a century of his nation's history.