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the reader to recent and relatively easy-to-find works on the campaign where more information can be found. The problem is though that there is indeed a lot more information and the book concentrates on the most written-about parts, giving it an uneven coverage of events. The author goes out of his way to correct some of the misconceptions out there, such as whether Manila should have been bypassed. (He points out that this would not have saved anyone, as the
Japanese commander had ordered the killing of every man, woman and child in the city.)
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sure that readers who already have a shelf of books about signals intelligence will find space for this book, but those who are hoping for a more technical account will be disappointed, although there are some interesting titbits. The units involved are carefully listed, along with their roles, but details about how they functioned are missing. The more casual reader may be none the wiser about this, but may appreciate the extended discussion of the purpose of signals intelligence and its contribution to the nation's defence.
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pointless. She argues that the focus should be on improving leadership and how power is distributed within the Army, as the 'culture' of organisations is an amorphous concept. She buttresses this argument with evidence from her work with the special forces, as well as the results of reform processes elsewhere in the Army and broadly comparable organisations. I found this analysis to be highly convincing, and
Crompvoets' recommendations are sensible.
396:. The book tells its story up to 1972. Despite the subtitle, the first two hundred pages focus on the period up to the end of the war, and Defence Signals Bureau narrative commences around page 300. It takes pains to note that the wartime signals intelligence function in Australia involved all five of the Five Eyes countries. Canadian readers might be surprised at the extent of Canadian involvement in signals intelligence in the
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The campaign was vast, and the book is small, so an overview is what the reader gets. If you are completely unfamiliar with the campaign, and want to know about it, this book would be a good place to start. Not only does it provide a broad description of events, but the footnotes deliberately direct
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As the book is short (75 pages) and has been published in a small format, there's not a great deal to say about it. Crompvoets' main argument is that blaming the misconduct in the special forces on 'cultural' issues is a cop out, and that efforts to prevent similar crimes by reforming 'culture' are
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The book is written by John Fahey, who worked at DSD for many years. The writing style is chaotic, with the narrative sloshing about like a ship in a cyclone, and a good editor was sorely needed here. Some points are repeated many times while others appear before they are properly introduced. I am
273:, but has not attracted much interest in the United States, and there is a fair bit of misinformation floating about on the internet. What has been written about has focused on a couple of actions. The first is the controversial
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This book is an essay by the sociologist
Samantha Crompvoets about the underlying causes of the alleged war crimes committed by Australian special forces in Afghanistan. Crompvoets was engaged by the
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in the mid-2010s to work with the special forces units on cultural issues. Her interviews with serving soldiers and veterans uncovered evidence of war crimes, which led eventually to the
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Exterior of the house used as
Central Bureau of Intelligence Headquarters in Henry Street, Ascot, Brisbane. The structure out the front is the guard box, not the
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The main shortcoming of the book is its small size. Crompvoets is an expert on the issues at play here, and a full-size book would have been invaluable. Her
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714:. I concur. I also happen to agree with her conclusions about "culture". Whether things are good or bad in a unit, it is always about leadership.
392:, during the Second World War. It was a secret organisation for many years, but is fairly well-known today as the Australian component of the
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384:(ASD), formerly the Defence Signals Directorate (DSD), was formed in 1947 as the Defence Signals Bureau, using personnel who had staffed the
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that found evidence of the killings of 39 prisoners and civilians. War crimes investigations are ongoing at present.
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from 2016 on culture in the
Australian special forces community is online though, and is an interesting read.
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553:"#ResearchNote – The Royal Australian Air Force and the historiography of the 'air wars' over Vietnam"
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281:. This book also devotes a lot of space to these, reflecting the literature out there.
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277:, which has been re-fought many times. The other, albeit to a lesser extent, is the
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415:. Vol. 1: 1947–1972. Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen &Unwin.
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Factory: The Official History of Australian Signals Directorate
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Return to Victory: MacArthur's Epic Liberation of the Philippines
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