Take a look in the Christopher Brennan Library for books that will supplement your learning and understanding of Australians at war during WWII.
A CLOSED RESERVE trolley of books has been put together for this task.
Dare to do so much by 
Last Letters Home by
'Exceptionally moving' Independent For many of those who lived through it, the Second World War was the most exciting, dynamic and frightening time of their lives. This wonderful collection of contemporaneous letters tells their stories - from the battlefields of Europe to the bombed out back streets of London, from the conflict in the skies to the hardships of the home front. Last Letters Home doesn't show just one side of the war. By concentrating on different themes - lovers, siblings, separation and reunification - Tamasin Day-Lewis paints an unparalleled picture of the daily lives of men and women at war. Through letters and interviews, we learn the true story of the war, the story of lives transformed by loss, bombing, internment and the horror of battle. These are letters of hope and defiance; of love, loneliness and courage. They are an extraordinary testament to an extraordinary generation of men and women. It is difficult to think of a book which more completely describes the way people deal with - and in some cases thrive on - such adversity. Last Letters Home is an important and fascinating part of any understanding of the Second World War.
Keep the Men Alive by
During World War II, 22,000 Australian military personnel became prisoners of war under the Japanese military. Over three and a half years, 8,000 died in captivity, in desperate conditions of forced labor, disease, and starvation. Many of those who returned home after the war attributed their survival to the 106 Australian medical officers imprisoned alongside them. These doctors varied in age, background, and experience, but they were united in their unfailing dedication to keeping as many of the men alive as possible. This is the story of those 106 doctors#151;their compassion, bravery, and ingenuity#151;and their efforts in bringing back the 14,000 survivors.
Assess the wartime contribution of ONE of the following groups of Australians during WWII: Citizens Military Force; Coast watchers; Rats of Tobruk; HMAS Parramatta; HMAS Sydney; Lark Force; HMAS Centaur; Australians involved with Bomber Command; Australians involved in the Battle of Britain; Australians in Greece and Crete; Australian Nurses; Women; Attack Force Z; RAN; RAAF; Indigenous Service people.
Australia's War 1939-1945 A great source of information about Australia's role in WWII. The many theatres and campaigns are covered, along with POWs and specific personalities.
Australian War Memorial London The Australian War Memorial in Hyde Park, London, commemorates the service men and women who served in WWI and WWII. You can spin the globe and view stories of the battles in which the service men and women fought.
Homefront and WWII This page by the State Library of Victoria brings together many useful resources and covers topics such as the conscription debate, food rationing, preparing for invasion and the influence of American servicemen on Australians at home.
Australian War Memorial - World War II An overview of Australia's involvement in WWII, including further research guides, sources and links.
Abroad WWII This page by the State Library of Victoria brings together many useful resources and covers information about the Kokoda campaign, Rats of Tobruk and Battle of Crete.
World War II A BBC page featuring articles written by historians. Covers the causes, events and people of the most destructive war in history.
National Archives of Australia Discover our fascinating collection of more than 100 years of Australian Government records, documenting the history of individuals, communities, and the nation.
National Archives of Australia: The Bombing of Darwin Fact sheets introduce you to a variety of subjects and people represented in the collection, and link to a selection of records and further information. They are a useful starting point for research.
Group Captain Clive Caldwell DSO, DFC, (and Bar) This biographical entry is produced by The Australian War Memorial.
Remembering 1942: Sydney Under Attack Dr Robert Nichols, an editor for the Austalian War Memorial, presented a talk on the Japanese midget submarine attack on Sydney Harbour. A transcript of the talk is available as well as a recorded download of the talk.
Z Special Unit This link is to the AWM Collection on all material related to Z Special Unit. This includes digitised collection, private records, photographs, manuscripts, sound and art material.
Devotion: Stories of Australian Wartime Nurses Some of the stories in this collection relate to material from the Australian War Memorial’s special exhibition Nurses: from Zululand to Afghanistan.
Second World War Nurses This weblink is to the AWM exhibition and covers content relating to WWII nurses in the Middle East, Greece, Crete, nurses at home and the Centaur.
Greece and Crete April - May 1941 This link is to the AWM website detailing Australia's involvement in Greece and Crete during WWII.
75th Anniversary of the Sinking of HMAS Sydney (II) This weblink appears on the SA Veterans website. Use the links at the end of the entry for further reading on the HMAS Sydney.
HMAS Sydney (II) This weblink is to the Australian Navy website official entry on HMAS Sydney (II).
HMAS Parramatta (II) This weblink is to the Australian Navy website official entry on HMAS Parramatta (II).