Too Bold to Die: The Making of Australian War Heroes

by Ian McPhedran

Extraordinary accounts of Australian soldiers under fire on the front line

From Gallipoli to East Timor to Afghanistan, many Australians have been awarded military honours for acts of selfless courage, while others have missed out. Bestselling author Ian McPhedran uncovers new stories of extreme bravery in action from WWII to today, and hears from those on the front line about what courage really means. He also explores why some become national heroes and others are overlooked.

Inspiring and unputdownable, Too Bold to Die shows what it takes to win a Medal for Gallantry – and why so many of our military heroes remain unknown.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, War, Military Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2013

Reviews

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Heroes? Rather thugs and some victims of the total state. But yea, heroes, because without them Australian kids would have spoken Turkish because of the evil neighbor that was building its StarGate to invade the precious sheep farms at the Antipodes.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Occasionally a little light on details but that is probably more down to limitations of the format rather than the subject matter.

[Keith McArdle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's easy to see that McPhedran has spent arduous hours researching each ADF member represented in this well written, comprehensive book. The men in this book are (or at least should be) the real role models for our youth. Not the footballers or the movie actors, some of whom choose to bang drugs into their veins or snort all kinds of illegal crud up their noses, but these men, the ones you rarely hear about, the ones who risked their lives to save their mates and serve their country.

One thing I didn't like, that was highlighted in Too Bold To Die, was the Australian Honours and Awards system, where members who deserve recognition are overlooked simply because the medal quota has been met. I didn't know the Honours and Awards system worked in such a neanderthal way, but it is disgraceful. I prefer the American system, it is much fairer and recognition is given where it is due.

A well written book. If you want to find out more about these incredibly brave men, consider downloading this book, you won't be disappointed!

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this ended up being a tough one to finish. I lost interest towards the end when it drifted from stories of heroism to stories of people being robbed of medals. That really bothered me. I think this would have had more punch if it was a book of untold war stories with maybe a chapter or two at the end devoted to the quest to get these heroes the recognition they deserve. Because of the constant reference to medals and reward, it felt like that was the point of the novel. While it may be valid, it seemed biased by the author and detracted from the true heart of these war stories. Some fascinating stories, but sadly overshadowed by the author's own personal feelings.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read