A Selection of The History Book Club

A Main Selection of The Military Book Club

A harrowing account of an epic, yet nearly forgotten, battle of World War II-General Douglas MacArthur's four-year assault on the Pacific War's most hostile battleground: the mountainous, jungle-cloaked island of New Guinea.

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.

Reviews:

"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 Times Bestselling 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 new life into Douglas MacArthur's crucial but oft-overlooked campaign in the 'Green Hell' of New Guinea. An excellent read. " Bruce Gamble, Author of Invasion Rabaul

"A meaty, engrossing narrative history... This will likely stand as the definitive account of the New Guinea campaign. " The Christian Science Monitor

"Duffy expertly unwinds the many disparate threads that make up wartime planning and communication, contrasting strategy with outcome and showing how the chain of command truly takes control in an otherwise chaotic situation... An entertaining and well-researched war history that will satisfy intrigued novices and devoted students alike. " Kirkus

"Duffy makes a strong case that MacArthur's generalship is a major reason for the campaign's success. " Publishers Weekly

"This essential book adds insight and detail to a pivotal piece of the overshadowed war in the Pacific. " Library Journal

"The author has produced an extremely readable overall look at what has been heretofore a mostly unfamiliar, neglected and forgotten phase of World War II. It redounds to his credit for doing so, if for no other reason than to make one question why so many wars are fought on such miserable terrain and under such horrific conditions. " New York Journal of Books

In stores or at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. (also available as an e-book and audiobook)