{"title":"Colin Burgess","description":"\u003cp\u003eWelcome to the fascinating world of Colin Burgess, an esteemed author known for his detailed and engaging exploration of history, biography, and science. His collection offers readers a deep dive into captivating historical events and extraordinary human experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eAustralia's Aviation Heroes\u003c\/em\u003e, Burgess celebrates the pioneers and legends of the Australian skies, bringing their thrilling adventures to life. \u003cem\u003eAustralia's Dambusters\u003c\/em\u003e delves into the role Australian servicemen played in the iconic World War II operation, delivering a gripping narrative of courage and strategy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor those interested in the harrowing tales of war and perseverance, \u003cem\u003eDestination Buchenwald\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Diggers of Colditz\u003c\/em\u003e provide heart-stirring accounts of resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity. \u003cem\u003eSisters in Captivity\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSisters Under Fire\u003c\/em\u003e further explore similar themes through the powerful stories of women whose bravery shines through times of conflict.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBurgess’s interest in science and exploration is evident in \u003cem\u003eSoviets in Space\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Greatest Adventure\u003c\/em\u003e. These works chart the history of space exploration, offering insight into the daring missions that pushed the boundaries of human capability.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEach book in Colin Burgess’s collection is not only an academic endeavour but also a testament to human spirit and innovation, making them a must-read for enthusiasts of biography, military history, and space exploration.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"australias-aviation-heroes-by-colin-burgess-9781761632495","title":"Australia's Aviation Heroes","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the author of bestselling \u003ci\u003eSisters in Captivity\u003c\/i\u003e, seven remarkable stories of men who served from WWI to Korea – their wartime exploits and achievements through aviation.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBased on personal interviews conducted by the author over many years, \u003ci\u003eAustralia’s Aviation Heroes\u003c\/i\u003e celebrates the achievements of extraordinary men in extraordinary times.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMeet Jack Treacy, the WWI fighter pilot who came perilously close to joining the Red Baron in his grave. Relive the story of Ernie Guest, a man determined to fly against all odds after storming into battle on the bloody shores of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, on 25 April 1915. George Allan, the Scottish-born pilot who survived that same war, went on to become one of the great pioneers in Australian aviation history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThen there is the harrowing tale of Joe Herman, the bomber pilot blown out of his doomed aircraft over war-torn Europe without a parachute – who lived to tell his story. We get to know Clive Caldwell, Australia’s greatest WWII fighter pilot, as well as Don Bennett, the Queenslander who developed and led Bomber Command’s legendary Pathfinder Force. During the Korean War, Phillip Zupp was the first Australian to be recommended for a Purple Heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThese are the captivating stories of men who answered the call during desperate times, willingly taking to the dangerous skies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46626863186156,"sku":"9781761632495","price":38.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781761632495_22391e95-b073-4d57-a1b6-0bb32ae0c62a.jpg?v=1751935357"},{"product_id":"sisters-in-captivity-by-colin-burgess-9781761632587","title":"Sisters in Captivity","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe incredible account of Sister Betty Jeffrey OAM and the Australian war nurses who survived the bombing of evacuation ship SS \u003ci\u003eVyner Brooke\u003c\/i\u003e in February 1942, and subsequently spent three years in Japanese prison camps in Sumatra.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDuring those perilous years surviving in squalid conditions, Sister Jeffrey kept a secret diary of day-to-day events which, after the war, was turned into a hugely successful book and radio serial: \u003ci\u003eWhite Coolies\u003c\/i\u003e. She would often write of the powerful sisterhood that evolved as the prisoners of war took strength from each other, even forming a vocal orchestra. \u003ci\u003eWhite Coolies\u003c\/i\u003e was a major inspiration for the 1997 film \u003ci\u003eParadise Road\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSisters in Captivity\u003c\/i\u003e builds on those diaries to not only re-live the years the nurses spent as POWs but also recounts the early life and influences that encouraged Betty Jeffrey into the field of nursing as a lifelong endeavour. A tireless advocate for returned nurses, she co-founded the Australian Nurses Memorial Centre with sole survivor of the Banka Island Massacre, fellow POW, and her longtime friend Vivian Bullwinkel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFeaturing 32 pages of photos including personal mementos of Betty Jeffrey, courtesy of her family, and her drawings from the prison camps, this is a powerful account of women’s resilience amidst the devastating brutality of war.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46628169646316,"sku":"9781761632587","price":27.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781761632587_6d512525-9898-40da-9a80-127d79fe49a7.jpg?v=1751933572"},{"product_id":"sisters-in-captivity-by-colin-burgess-9781761109089","title":"Sisters in Captivity","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe incredible account of Sister Betty Jeffrey OAM and the Australian war nurses who survived the bombing of evacuation ship SS \u003ci\u003eVyner Brooke\u003c\/i\u003e in February 1942, and subsequently spent three years in Japanese prison camps in Sumatra.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDuring those perilous years surviving in squalid conditions, Sister Jeffrey kept a secret diary of day-to-day events which, after the war, was turned into a hugely successful book and radio serial: \u003ci\u003eWhite Coolies\u003c\/i\u003e. She would often write of the powerful sisterhood that evolved as the prisoners of war took strength from each other, even forming a vocal orchestra. \u003ci\u003eWhite Coolies\u003c\/i\u003e was a major inspiration for the 1997 film \u003ci\u003eParadise Road\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSisters in Captivity\u003c\/i\u003e builds on those diaries to not only re-live the years the nurses spent as POWs but also recounts the early life and influences that encouraged Betty Jeffrey into the field of nursing as a lifelong endeavour. A tireless advocate for returned nurses, she co-founded the Australian Nurses Memorial Centre with sole survivor of the Banka Island Massacre, fellow POW, and her longtime friend Vivian Bullwinkel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFeaturing 32 pages of photos including personal mementos of Betty Jeffrey, courtesy of her family, and her drawings from the prison camps, this is a powerful account of women’s resilience amidst the devastating brutality of war.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46628170563820,"sku":"9781761109089","price":36.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/392043482815.jpg?v=1751904923"},{"product_id":"the-diggers-of-colditz-by-jack-champ-9781760855178","title":"The Diggers of Colditz","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Diggers of Colditz\u003c\/i\u003e takes you inside Colditz Castle, Nazi Germany’s infamous ‘escape-proof’ wartime prison, where hundreds of the most determined and resourceful Allied prisoners were sent. Despite having more guards than inmates, Australian Lieutenant Jack Champ and other prisoners tirelessly carried out their campaign to escape from the massive floodlit stronghold... by any means necessary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this riveting account—by turns humorous, heartfelt and tragic—historian Colin Burgess and Lieutenant Jack Champ, from the point of view of the prisoners themselves, tell the story of the twenty Australians who made this castle their ‘home’, and the plans they made that were so crazy that some even achieved the seemingly impossible—escape!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAustralian Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e describes it as, ‘A stirring testimony of mateship... We are often on tenterhooks, always impressed by their determination, industry and courage’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46628292133100,"sku":"9781760855178","price":27.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/25938723482814.jpg?v=1751909606"},{"product_id":"australias-dambusters-by-colin-burgess-9781760859237","title":"Australia's Dambusters","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA truly comprehensive account of 617 Squadron, RAF, who carried out one of the most dangerous and audacious aerial bombing raids of World War II.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt was the evening of 16 May 1943. Nineteen modified Lancaster bombers from 617 Squadron RAF, under the command of youthful Wing Commander Guy Gibson, roared into the night sky from their Lincolnshire base. They were on a top-secret Bomber Command mission, codenamed Operation Chastise, now regarded as one of the most dangerous and audacious bombing raids of World War II – an attack on the formidable, well-defended dams of Germany’s Ruhr Valley. Slung beneath the belly of each aircraft was one of the war’s greatest secrets – a bouncing bomb. Against the odds, and flying straight and level into the teeth of terrifying enemy fire, they succeeded in breaching the two principal dams. Many of the 133 airmen involved that fateful night hailed from Australia, and several would be counted among the 56 who would not return to base next morning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Dams Raid led to the men of this gallant company – often referred to as a suicide squadron – taking on even more hazardous operations in the final two years of the war. Under valorous leadership, and now armed with massive Tallboy and Grand Slam ‘earthquake’ bombs, they obliterated vital Nazi installations, destroying such defiant targets as the heavily defended Kembs Barrage and the German battleship \u003ci\u003eTirpitz\u003c\/i\u003e, often at a terrible cost in lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFirst published in 2003, this deeply researched, revised and updated edition of \u003ci\u003eAustralia’s Dambusters\u003c\/i\u003e offers a truly comprehensive account of the most famous bombing raid of the war through the words and stories of the courageous Australian airmen and others who flew on this and later perilous missions, remembered and forever immortalised as the Dambusters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46653605544172,"sku":"9781760859237","price":36.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/25979313482814.jpg?v=1752457225"},{"product_id":"destination-buchenwald-by-colin-burgess-9781761106712","title":"Destination Buchenwald","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe harrowing story of the Allied airmen who experienced the true horrors of Nazism firsthand.\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt was the summer of 1944, as liberating Allied forces surged towards Paris following the D-Day landings. For a large group of downed airmen held in the city’s infamous Fresnes Prison, they were about to face evacuation into the blackest, bloody heart of Germany and experience the most acute evil of the war. Amid great secrecy, those 168 airmen— including several from Australia and New Zealand—were transported on a filthy, overcrowded nightmare train journey which ended at the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp, accompanied by orders for their execution. At Buchenwald, they witnessed extreme depravity that would haunt them to the end of their days. Yet, on returning home, they were confronted by decades of denials from their own governments that they had ever been held in one of Hitler’s most vile concentration camps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn conducting his original deep research for this book—now completely expanded and updated—Colin Burgess personally interviewed or corresponded with dozens of the surviving airmen from a number of nations, including their valorous leader, New Zealand Squadron Leader Phil Lamason. \u003ci\u003eDestination Buchenwald\u003c\/i\u003e tells a compelling story of extraordinary bravery, comradeship, and endurance, when a group of otherwise ordinary servicemen were thrust into an unimaginable Nazi hell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'This was the first book to provide an insight into our experiences as a group of captured allied airmen, betrayed to the Gestapo, tortured and deported to Buchenwald concentration camp. I consider it to be one of the best interpretations of the events as it reflects the voices of the survivors and their challenges to stay alive in such dehumanising circumstances.' \u003cb\u003eSqn Ldr Stanley Booker, RAF (Rtd.), MBE, Légion D'Honneur: Last surviving member of the Buchenwald airmen\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46654347018476,"sku":"9781761106712","price":36.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/368273482815.jpg?v=1752461100"},{"product_id":"soviets-in-space-by-colin-burgess-9781789146325","title":"Soviets in Space","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this deeply researched chronology, Colin Burgess describes the Soviet Union's extraordinary success in the pioneering years of space exploration. Within a decade, the Soviets not only launched the world's first satellite but were the first to send an animal and a human being into Earth orbit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMore than that, their ground-breaking missions sent a woman into space, launched a three-man spacecraft, and included the first person to walk in space. Six decades on from the historic spaceflight of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, Burgess guides us through the amazing achievements of Russia's spaceflight programme through to the present day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe book introduces the men and women who have flown the missions as we seek to delve ever deeper into the wonders and complexities of the cosmos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46854841303276,"sku":"9781789146325","price":57.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781789146325.jpg?v=1759257251"},{"product_id":"the-greatest-adventure-by-colin-burgess-9781789144604","title":"The Greatest Adventure","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe space race was perhaps the greatest technological contest of the 20th century. It was a thrilling era of innovation, discovery, and exploration, as astronauts and cosmonauts were launched on space missions of increasing length, complexity, and danger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Greatest Adventure\u003c\/i\u003e traces the events of this extraordinary period, describing the initial string of Soviet achievements: the first satellite in orbit; the first animal, man, and woman in space; the first spacewalk; as well as the ultimate US victory in the race to land on the moon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe book then takes the reader on a journey through the following decades of space exploration to the present time, detailing the many successes, tragedies, risks, and rewards of space exploration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855001571564,"sku":"9781789144604","price":59.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/49d571913556f858471f1ec751970daf.jpg?v=1759262763"},{"product_id":"sisters-under-fire-by-colin-burgess-9781761638626","title":"Sisters Under Fire","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe heroic accounts of Australian Army Nursing Sisters Margaret Anderson and Vera Torney who survived the perilous evacuation of Singapore in 1942.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe nursing profession is one historically filled with everyday heroes; men and women engaged in challenging work that can often prove the difference between life and death. Nursing Sisters Margaret Anderson and Vera Torney of the 2\/13th Australian General Hospital felt far from heroic as they boarded the converted cargo ship \u003ci\u003eEmpire Star\u003c\/i\u003e in 1942 following a hastily contrived and ultimately perilous plan to evacuate the last Australian nurses from Singapore after Japanese occupation. The courageous and selfless actions of Sisters Anderson and Torney while under fire on a nightmare voyage would deservedly earn them the highest civilian awards for bravery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWithout exception, all the nurses had requested to stay and tend to their wounded patients but were ordered to evacuate on three ships – the \u003ci\u003eWah Sui\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEmpire Star\u003c\/i\u003e, and the ill-fated \u003ci\u003eVyner Brooke\u003c\/i\u003e. The tragic, harrowing story of the nurses evacuating on the \u003ci\u003eVyner Brooke\u003c\/i\u003e is also recounted, with 21 survivors of the sinking later shot down in cold blood on Banka Island. Against the odds, there was a solitary survivor of the massacre: Sister Vivian Bullwinkel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to saluting two courageous Australian war nurses, this deeply-researched book pays respectful homage to all the Australian nurses who lost their lives during the hurried evacuation of Singapore and those who survived only to become prisoners of the Japanese for more than three desperate years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47316368687340,"sku":"9781761638626","price":41.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/e49fa6587b5bf95f9bc4772d38b01d48_2318342e-633c-4b79-8526-6bff6b6e143c.jpg?v=1771536034"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/colin-burgess.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}