Bastard Behind the Lines

The extraordinary story of Jock McLaren's escape from Sandakan and his guerrilla war against the Japanese

Bastard Behind the Lines
Tom Gilling
RRP:
NZ$ 32.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 26.39
Paperback
h235 x 155mm - 256pg
2 Feb 2021 AU
International import eta 7-19 days
9781760875879
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
' The way I look at it is this. . . When you' re behind the line and get yourself into trouble, you' ve got to get your bloody self out irrespective of anybody else. That' s why I like it. ' Scottish-born but a Queenslander to the bone, Jock McLaren was a true Australian hero. As a prisoner he escaped twice, first from Changi and later from the infamous Sandakan POW camp in Borneo. After paddling a dugout canoe across open sea, he fought for two years with American-led Filipino guerrillas, his exploits so audacious the Japanese put a price on his head. At the helm of his 26-foot whaleboat, the Bastard, McLaren sailed brazenly into enemy-held harbours, wreaking havoc with his mortar and machine guns before heading back out to sea. In early 1945 he joined Australia' s secretive Z Special Unit, parachuting into Borneo to carry out reconnaissance and organise anti-Japanese resistance ahead of Allied landings. He cheated death on numerous occasions and saved his own life by removing his appendix without anaesthetic, using ' two large dessert spoons' and a razor blade. Drawing on Allied and Japanese wartime documents, Bastard Behind the Lines brings the story of a courageous digger vividly to life and throws light on a rarely explored aspect of Australia' s Pacific war.
Tom Gilling is an acclaimed novelist. The Sooterkin, Miles McGinty and Dreamland have all been published in Australia, London and New York. His non-fiction works include The Lost Battalions and Project Rainfall. He is also co-author with Clive Small of the highly successful Smack Express, Blood Money, Evil Life and Milat.
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9781760875879
Published: 2 Feb 2021
Published In: Australia
Imprint: Allen & Unwin
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Format: Paperback
Height: 235mm
Width: 155mm
Spine: 19mm
Weight: 340g
Pages: 256

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