War at the End of the World

Douglas MacArthur and the Forgotten Fight for New Guinea 1942-1945

By: James P. Duffy

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

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, in addition to tens of thousands of Australian, Dutch, and New Guinean troops, to retake New Guinea at all costs.

In this gripping narrative, historian James P. Duffy chronicles the most ruthless combat of the Pacific War, a fight complicated by rampant tropical disease, violent rainstorms, and unforgiving terrain that punished both Axis and Allied forces alike. Drawing on primary sources, War at the End of the World fills in a crucial gap in the history of World War II while offering listeners a narrative of the first rank.

©2016 James P. Duffy (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Beautifully written and carefully researched." (Mark Perry, author of The Most Dangerous Man in America)

Excellent! Highly detailed.

The only thing that I didn’t like about it was that several of the names of places in PNG were mispronounced. There was obviously a great deal of research that went into the book, I would suggest that also include correct pronunciation as well for an audiobook. Overall, that is a very minor criticism for an excellent book and an incredible story.

Remarkable!

An amazing account of the Battle of New Guinea! This battle was so important and yet it is rarely discussed. James Duffy does an amazing job putting us into the shoes of the Aussies and Americans who fought on this island. You are put into the fray of the intense conditions and ferocious enemy on New Guinea and your also given a background on the island and its significance to the Pacific War and how valuable control of New Guinea was to the allies. You are put in the War room with commander such as General Sir Thomas Blamey and General Douglas MacArthur as they converse on strategies of taking New Guinea. Joe Barrett does a great job of narrating. Read this book!!

truly stunning

thrilling book which keeps the reader ingaged through its entirety. would listen again as the presenter has a great voice for the book

We’ll done. At least what is included. The last 34 min of the book is missing.

Very disappointed that I couldn’t hear the end since it is incomplete.
Very well told details. I cringed at the terrible pronunciations of location names. At least the reader should have researched the correct pronunciation for “Lae”, “Madang”, “Wewak”, and many others that he butchered with uninformed lingo.
Other than that, a good listen.

Generally Ignored History

This is the first account of the New Guinea campaign I’ve read/listened to, concentrating, instead, on the Navy/Marine Corps’ Central Pacific thrust. I had no idea the scope of the effort and its affect. This account is comprehensive and detailed. The narrator engaging. Highly recommended.

Worth your time

A fine basic synopsis of an under discussed WW 2 Pacific campaign well told and narrated.

Fills a gap in WW2 history

Narrator was excellent. The Army part needed to be told. The Marines story is well documented in print and movies.

The WW2 New Guinea Campaign

Narration: Typical Joe Barrett...clear, interesting inflection (although attempted imitations of Australian accent falls flat).

Content: Interesting, important, informative chronology of the New Guinea campaign. Only audiobook focusing on this little known, crucial campaign. Well worth a listen.

Great

Thorough yet compelling look at war with an equal balance of tactics and logistics.

But, would be nice to have maps!

Excellent narration, great detail

The narration was excellent and the story included detailed descriptions of each major battle in this campaign. Highly recommended for anyone interested in WW II in general, and the war in the pacific in particular.