Day of Reckoning

by Strahan, Lachlan (2005), 350pp., ISBN 1 74076 167 7.
AUD$31.78 (Including GST: AUD$34.96) (softcover)

In 1948, as the jungle reclaimed the detritus left by World War II, a series of violent crimes were committed in Papua New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies. Linked by questions of race, these crimes had unexpected consequences. The civil and military authorities of Australia, the United States, China, the Netherlands and the Philippines were stung into action. The ensuing attempts to claim jurisdiction and deliver justice revealed deep tensions between individuals, governments and nations.

In Day of Reckoning, Lachlan Strahan weaves the facts of these crimes into a story of compelling interest. It is rare that the past is brought to life with such narrative power and perceptive understanding. This highly original history skilfully explores the complexities of international relations and paints a vivid portrait of people trying to cope with a confused and rapidly changing postwar world.

Under Strahan's clear gaze, tough diplomatic negotiations, court room conflict and cross-cultural misapprehensions are brought together in a regional drama with far-reaching implications.

Dr Lachlan Strahan, author of Australia's China (1996), is an Australian diplomat who has served in Bonn and Seoul. An inveterate Carlton supporter, he lives in Canberra with Lily and their two children, Joschka and Katya.