Synopses & Reviews
The riveting first book in Bruce Gamble's critically acclaimed Rabaul trilogy, originally published in hardcover entitled Darkest Hour, which chronicles the longest battle of World War II. January 23, 1942, New Britain. It was 2:30 a.m., the darkest hour of the day and, for the tiny Australian garrison sent to defend this Southwest Pacific island, soon to be the darkest hour of the war. Lark Force, comprising of 1,500 soldiers and six nurses, faced a vastly superior Japanese amphibious unit poised to overrun Rabaul, capital of Australia's mandated territories. Invasion Rabaul, the first book in military historian Bruce Gamble's critically acclaimed Rabaul trilogy, is a gut-wrenching account of courage and sacrifice, folly and disaster, as seen through the eyes of the defenders who survived the Japanese assault. Gamble's gripping narrative follows key individuals -- soldiers and junior officers, an American citizen and an Army nurse among them -- who were driven into the jungle, prey to the unforgiving environment and a cruel enemy that massacred its prisoners. The dramatic stories of the Lark Force survivors, told here in full for the first time, are among the most inspiring of the Pacific War -- and they lay a triumphant foundation for one of today's most highly praised military nonfiction trilogies.
Review
"Gamble pored over forgotten files and official reports and conducted interviews with the handful of surviving veterans to craft this tragic, heroic story. A terrific tale about a little-known (to Americans) battle." - WWII History Magazine
Review
World War II, June 2007
"The author takes a grunt's-eye view of not just the battle, but its horrid aftermaths for POWs."
Review
"With the publication of this magnificent Rabaul Trilogy, former Navy flight officer Bruce Gamble has established himself in the foremost rank of Pacific War historians. In a compelling narrative that reads like an exciting novel, Gamble details "a history of World War II's longest battle," from the capture of Rabaul, New Britain, by the Japanese in January 1942, to its isolation, bombardment and final liberation by Allied forces in August 1945." - Armchair General
Review
"Gamble's first of a trilogy of books is enlightening for the history that has largely been forgotten and it is superbly done." - Travel for Aircraft
Synopsis
Invasion Rabaul is a gut-wrenching account of courage and sacrifice, folly and disaster, as seen through the eyes of the Allied defenders who survived the Japanese assault on New Britain during the opening days of World War II.
About the Author
Since the publication of his first book in 1998, Bruce Gamble (Lynn Haven, FL) has rapidly gained recognition as one of the most respected authors writing on the war in the Pacific. His narrative style and depth of research have earned critical acclaim in such publications that include Publishers Weekly and Booklist. In addition to writing popular history books, Gamble has given numerous public presentations and has been the featured historian in documentaries produced by the History Channel, Fox News Channel, PBS, and the Pritzker Military Library. The winner of two literary awards in 2010, Bruce is a member of the Authors Guild and holds life memberships in the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and Paralyzed Veterans of America. He is the author of The Black Sheep and Black Sheep One (both from Presidio Press) as well as Zenith Press titles Swashbucklers and Black Sheep, Invasion Rabaul (originally published as Darkest Hour), Fortress Rabaul, and Target: Rabaul.