Publisher's Synopsis
'A powerful new genre, where the actual images of war reshape historical perspective ...'--Tim Bowden, author of One Crowded Hour: Neil Davis Combat Cameraman 1934--1985 'I have often thought the Menari Parade one of the greatest moments in Australian history. How wonderful that Parer was there. 200 Shots, in the spirit of Parer, favours the human rather than the military history.'--Chris Masters, 'Four Corners', ABC TV 'This is an important book because it tells and brilliantly illustrates a vital part of our history which has been neglected for far too long. And it raises yet again a problem that Australia still has to grapple with--when will we learn to foster and celebrate Australian excellence?'--Phillip Knightly, author The First Casualty: The War Correspondent as Hero, Propagandist and Myth Maker and A Hack's Progress The fierce fighting in the jungles of New Guinea during World War Two provided a primeval environment for some of the most dramatic war photography in Australia's history. 200 SHOTS provides a comprehensive photographic coverage of Australia's involvement at that time and highlights the work two great war photographers--Damien Parer and George Silk.;The photographers' notes and diaries are used to describe the circumstances in which the shots were taken. This is linked with official records, interviews with the participants and a close analysis of the images themselves to explain what the photographs reveal about the human experience of war. Damien Parer was killed in action shortly after taking the last shots in this book, but for the first time his notes and film of the 2/3rd Independent Company are compared with the sketches of his companion, the famous war artist Ivor Hele, providing a unique insight into the photographer and the artist's response to jungle fighting. Neil McDonald interviewed George Silk in the United States in 1996 over a seven-day period. This, together with Peter Brune's research, enables 200 SHOTS to put a new perspective on these famous battles.
