The Bulldog Track, Peter Phelps
The Bulldog Track, Peter Phelps
List: $25.99 | Sale: $18.20
Club: $12.99

The Bulldog Track
A grandson's story of an ordinary man's war and survival on the other Kokoda trail

Author: Peter Phelps

Narrator: Peter Phelps

Unabridged: 6 hr 20 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/31/2018


Synopsis

This is the story of Tom Phelps and the 'other Kokoda Track'. Seventy-five years later, Tom's grandson, award-winning actor and writer Peter Phelps, is sharing this inspiring tale of resilience and survival.

March 1942: The world is at war. Too old to fight and with jobs scarce at home, Tom Phelps found work as a carpenter in the goldfields of the New Guinea Highlands. No one expected the Japanese to attack in the Pacific. But they did.

Tom and his mates weren't going to hang around and wait to be killed. With escape routes bombed by the Japanese, their only option was to try to reach safety by foot, through some of the most rugged terrain on Earth - the Bulldog Track.

Back home in Sydney, Rose Phelps, their son, George, and three daughters, Joy, Shirley and Ann, waited for news of Tom's fate. George watched the horrors of war unfold on newsreels knowing his dad was 'over there'.

Travelling by foot, raft, canoe, schooner, train, luck and courage, Tom Phelps, half-starved and suffering malaria, would eventually make it home. His stories of New Guinea would lead his son and grandson to their own experiences with the country.

The Bulldog Track is a grandson's story of an ordinary man's war. It is an incredible tale of survival and the indomitable Aussie spirit.

About Peter Phelps

Peter Phelps is one of Australia's best-loved actors, regularly appearing in film, television and theatre productions. He is an AFI and Logie award winner and has directed episodes of All Saints and Home and Away. In 1994 he wrote the bestselling book Sex without Madonna: True confessions of a hired gun in Tinseltown (a wry look at his years in Hollywood). His second book, The Bulldog Track, is a very personal account of his grandfather's incredible survival in New Guinea during WWII, and his escape by the 'other Kokoda trail'.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nick

Phelp’s cathartic account of his grandfather‘s trek through New Guinea is equally cathartic for the reader. A fascinating insight into gold mining in Bulolo amidst the Pacific Theatre of War. Truly a reminder that history is made up of ordinary people performing extraordinary acts. His assertion on......more

This was a terrible book. Peter Phelps cannot tell a good story and cannot write. It’s all over the shop and it lacks continuity. He keeps on quoting how the Bulldog Track is supposed to be tougher than Kokoda, but you don’t get a sense of that at all when reading this book. You also don’t feel empa......more

Goodreads review by Gayle

This book is engrossing despite needing some editing to give it some cohesion and to limit the switching between characters and times The subject matter is so poignant I almost want to give it 4 stars......more

Goodreads review by Sarah

Interesting story but badly written. The author jumps about too much and some things were still unclear at the end.......more


Quotes

His appreciation for a good story is evident; this writer possesses a commanding turn of phrase.

Review

This book perfectly captures the Aussie spirit and the heart of what mateship really means.

The themes of separation, loneliness, doubt and heroism are all here, and we gain a clear picture of the emotional cost of war to an individual family.

The amazing feat of his indomitable grandfather and his ragged but resilient companions has been presented in an exciting story demonstrating great family pride and affection.

Phelps' story is an extraordinary and unforgettable read.