What do you think?
Rate this book
The Ridge and the River
(From Wikipedia)
The novel is based on the author's experiences serving with the Australian army fighting the Japanese in Papua New Guinea during World War II. The story follows an Australian patrol of a dozen men sent to reconnoitre a Japanese position on Bougainville Island. An action ensues in which two of the Australians are injured. The patrol must then find a way back to base, through the jungle, evading the Japanese and ensuring their wounded reach safety.
The novel is based on the author's experiences serving with the Australian army fighting the Japanese in Papua New Guinea during World War II. The story follows an Australian patrol of a dozen men sent to reconnoitre a Japanese position on Bougainville Island. An action ensues in which two of the Australians are injured. The patrol must then find a way back to base, through the jungle, evading the Japanese and ensuring their wounded reach safety.
- GenresWorld War II
220 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
2 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
T.A.G. Hungerford
20 books6 followersThomas Arthur Guy Hungerford AM, popularly known as T. A. G. Hungerford, was an Australian writer, noted for his World War II novel The Ridge and the River, and his short stories that chronicle growing up in South Perth, Western Australia during the Great Depression.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 14, 2021
I was reading an interview with Estelle, the wife of the outstanding Australian travel writer Peter Pinney. Pinney had also written an excellent fictional trilogy that was based on his time fighting the Japanese in New Guinea and Bougainville in the 2nd World War. Estelle mentioned in the interview, linked below, that Pinney liked Tom Hungerford’s book The Ridge and the River that was published in 1952. This was published many years prior to Pinney’s trilogy. I was fortunate to have a copy so thought it an opportune time to read Hungerfords novel with Pinney’s writings fresh in my mind.
https://www.readersvoice.com/intervie...
The interview states that Pinney and Hungerford had fought alongside each other. It shows via the very similar portrayals of the characters in both of their writings.
Hungerford’s writing is also as raw as Pinney’s in its presentation of the soldier’s characteristics and their attitudes to both officers and those of other races; the inherent language of racism is very notable and plays a large part in the narrative. The notable difference between the writers is that Pinney wrote in the first person where as Hungerford is a third person narrative, hence his use of racial terminology in the general prose I found rather confronting at times.
The story itself is of a new green officer having to make amends to his new battle hardened troops who have little respect for him after a very poor start to his career. He leads them on patrol and a contact is made with the Japanese enemy and there are casualties. The account is then heavily based on what happens after, with the interaction between each of the characters being prominent.
On what I have read of Pinney and what he wrote about his experiences, this book seems to also be based on the similar circumstances of the author. The writing leaves little to the imagination in terms of the attitudes of the foot soldiers towards their fellow man and the events they confront. It is at times an extremely powerful portrait of the average soldier.
The Ridge and the River won the 1952 Australian Literature Society Gold Medal, but I do wonder if it would even get nominated nowadays. The racist terminology used in the narration, not just the everyday speaking of the soldiers, I would have thought could not be acceptable to the judging panel, let alone get a publishing house to even accept the manuscript without some severe changes. Does that make it a poor book? In my opinion no as it is a very important and significant piece of Australian literature.
Recommended to those that have an interest in Australian WW2 literature.
https://www.readersvoice.com/intervie...
The interview states that Pinney and Hungerford had fought alongside each other. It shows via the very similar portrayals of the characters in both of their writings.
Hungerford’s writing is also as raw as Pinney’s in its presentation of the soldier’s characteristics and their attitudes to both officers and those of other races; the inherent language of racism is very notable and plays a large part in the narrative. The notable difference between the writers is that Pinney wrote in the first person where as Hungerford is a third person narrative, hence his use of racial terminology in the general prose I found rather confronting at times.
The story itself is of a new green officer having to make amends to his new battle hardened troops who have little respect for him after a very poor start to his career. He leads them on patrol and a contact is made with the Japanese enemy and there are casualties. The account is then heavily based on what happens after, with the interaction between each of the characters being prominent.
On what I have read of Pinney and what he wrote about his experiences, this book seems to also be based on the similar circumstances of the author. The writing leaves little to the imagination in terms of the attitudes of the foot soldiers towards their fellow man and the events they confront. It is at times an extremely powerful portrait of the average soldier.
The Ridge and the River won the 1952 Australian Literature Society Gold Medal, but I do wonder if it would even get nominated nowadays. The racist terminology used in the narration, not just the everyday speaking of the soldiers, I would have thought could not be acceptable to the judging panel, let alone get a publishing house to even accept the manuscript without some severe changes. Does that make it a poor book? In my opinion no as it is a very important and significant piece of Australian literature.
Recommended to those that have an interest in Australian WW2 literature.
October 18, 2017
Tom Hungerford was a sergeant in the 2/8 Commando Squadron in the Australian Army in World War II. In his own words he "was one of a group of men all doing the same bloody thing. Sticking the head up, hoping to Christ it wouldn't be shot off." The 2/8 Commando spent the last 10 months or so of the war on the island of Bougainville, conducting small group patrols and ambushes, and generally keeping the Japanese army off guard and nervous.
The ridge and the river is a fictionalised account of one such patrol, consisting of a section of men from all across Australia, of many different types, and who don't necessarily all like each other. They are given a reconnaissance task to undertake, which goes wrong, people are wounded, and the section faces a long march back through the jungle to get back to base.
While the description of the fighting pulls no punches, Hungerford is more interested in the interplay between the men of the section. Shearwood, the corporal leading the group since their last officer was killed, and Wilder the new lieutenant, who needs to earn his stripes - not only because he is a new man in the group but because of his cowardice in an initial tussle with the Japanese has the men wary of him - are the leaders of the group, but we are also taken into the minds of Manetta, White, Evans, and Malise, who is the spoiler in the group. We learn where they have come from, what drives them, and how they cope with the constant fear and deprivation that jungle fighting brings upon them.
Along the way Hungerford tackles other issues - including colonialism, Aboriginal rights, and the burdens of leadership. This is all done in a way that brings the issues to mind without making too much of them. Given that this book was originally published in 1952, some of the things he has to say about the rights of natives were quite forward-thinking.
The style of the book is matter-of-fact, with plenty of rough talk between the men of the section - this dialogue brings the story alive, and given Hungerford has direct experience of the jungle war, is no doubt accurate (one of my great-uncles was a Bren gunner in the 2/6 and 2/9 Commando, and I was reminded of him more than once during this book). The story itself is tense, which makes it a page-turner, and which is why I don't want to give away too much of what happens - needless to say there are one or two twists and turns, and by the end of the book you as a reader are drained, as are the men in the story. There is a final piece of information in the last few pages of the book that bring home to the reader the futility of war quite powerfully.
I was once told that to get a feel for what Australian troops did in the jungles of Melanesia read The ridge and the river - I can recommend that you do the same.
Check out my other reviews at http://aviewoverthebell.blogspot.com.au/
The ridge and the river is a fictionalised account of one such patrol, consisting of a section of men from all across Australia, of many different types, and who don't necessarily all like each other. They are given a reconnaissance task to undertake, which goes wrong, people are wounded, and the section faces a long march back through the jungle to get back to base.
While the description of the fighting pulls no punches, Hungerford is more interested in the interplay between the men of the section. Shearwood, the corporal leading the group since their last officer was killed, and Wilder the new lieutenant, who needs to earn his stripes - not only because he is a new man in the group but because of his cowardice in an initial tussle with the Japanese has the men wary of him - are the leaders of the group, but we are also taken into the minds of Manetta, White, Evans, and Malise, who is the spoiler in the group. We learn where they have come from, what drives them, and how they cope with the constant fear and deprivation that jungle fighting brings upon them.
Along the way Hungerford tackles other issues - including colonialism, Aboriginal rights, and the burdens of leadership. This is all done in a way that brings the issues to mind without making too much of them. Given that this book was originally published in 1952, some of the things he has to say about the rights of natives were quite forward-thinking.
The style of the book is matter-of-fact, with plenty of rough talk between the men of the section - this dialogue brings the story alive, and given Hungerford has direct experience of the jungle war, is no doubt accurate (one of my great-uncles was a Bren gunner in the 2/6 and 2/9 Commando, and I was reminded of him more than once during this book). The story itself is tense, which makes it a page-turner, and which is why I don't want to give away too much of what happens - needless to say there are one or two twists and turns, and by the end of the book you as a reader are drained, as are the men in the story. There is a final piece of information in the last few pages of the book that bring home to the reader the futility of war quite powerfully.
I was once told that to get a feel for what Australian troops did in the jungles of Melanesia read The ridge and the river - I can recommend that you do the same.
Check out my other reviews at http://aviewoverthebell.blogspot.com.au/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2012
I first read this book several years ago following up my interest in Australia’s military contribution to the Pacific War and thought it was excellent. Recently I was visiting my 90 year old father who was in the Ambulance corps in the Pacific during WWII. He gave me his copy of this book saying it was one of his favorite accounts of the jungle warfare the Australians had experienced. I had had no idea that he had even read it. Anyway, I’ve now read my Dad’s copy and I’m even more impressed than at the first reading.
The book has been comprehensively reviewed by Goodreads member Roger and I recommend that review so I’ll just add a couple of points. This is not a star spangled guts and glory book of war and nor is it one of those cynical ant-war exercises. The book is based on the personal experiences of the author and is an unsensationalised matter of fact account of a commando patrol and it skillfully deals with the character of the men and their relationships, their dogged commitment to each other even if there is personal dislike. It represents through the narrative: the Australian ethos of mateship; the nature of command; and issues of racism both in terms of Australian Aboriginal issues and the Pacific Islander who assist and support the troops. Of course this is all in the context of Australian society of the 1940’s. His handling of the race issues is particularly perceptive, sensitive, and honest give the time at which he was writing; and it is still relevant today.
The writing is not flamboyant but generally spare, compact and precise. Never the less at times it reaches a poetic intensity, especially when he writes about the introspection of the men.
I really think this is one of the great novels about war and though it is not a long book would compare it to accounts of the experience of war like The Naked And The Dead or All Quiet On The Western Front, though it’s not as harrowing or as tough a read as either of those.
Highly recommended.I'd give it 4.5 stars if that was possible.
The book has been comprehensively reviewed by Goodreads member Roger and I recommend that review so I’ll just add a couple of points. This is not a star spangled guts and glory book of war and nor is it one of those cynical ant-war exercises. The book is based on the personal experiences of the author and is an unsensationalised matter of fact account of a commando patrol and it skillfully deals with the character of the men and their relationships, their dogged commitment to each other even if there is personal dislike. It represents through the narrative: the Australian ethos of mateship; the nature of command; and issues of racism both in terms of Australian Aboriginal issues and the Pacific Islander who assist and support the troops. Of course this is all in the context of Australian society of the 1940’s. His handling of the race issues is particularly perceptive, sensitive, and honest give the time at which he was writing; and it is still relevant today.
The writing is not flamboyant but generally spare, compact and precise. Never the less at times it reaches a poetic intensity, especially when he writes about the introspection of the men.
I really think this is one of the great novels about war and though it is not a long book would compare it to accounts of the experience of war like The Naked And The Dead or All Quiet On The Western Front, though it’s not as harrowing or as tough a read as either of those.
Highly recommended.I'd give it 4.5 stars if that was possible.
January 13, 2014
My father was a commando in the 2/3 Independent Company during World War 2 in New Guinea. This book put me in his shoes and helped explain to me the experience that was an enduring part of his life.
January 22, 2022
This is an exceptional and raw novel, based on the author's experience as an Australian soldier fighting on Bougainville Island, which depicts the commando experience during the New Guinea Campaign nearing the end of WWII. Mr. Hungerford deftly captures the dynamics between those serving together within a small unit in the challenging conditions of jungle combat. The Australian Army has rightly been recognized for the spirit and ethos of "Mateship" that permeates their ranks. That friendship and loyalty is forged during times of adversity and that certainly describes what the characters in the book faced together. The exchanges between these individual soldiers and the small unit cohesion is the heart of the book. The book begins with a seasoned NCO filling the leadership void in as they await a replacement for their recently fallen officer and then that new officer is introduced to the unit on less than auspicious terms, requiring a challenging jourbey to earn the units respect. Hungerford's writing includes coarse language dealing with racism of the era within society and how it unfolds in the context of a small unit in the Army during combat. This work is an remarkable depiction and provides an excellent window into the experience of Australian Commandos during New Guinea Campaign.
February 17, 2019
It was a very interesting read. its amazing what our men went through. I didn't like how they ended the story, by overall it was a great book to read.
March 28, 2014
Autobiographical account of WWII in New Guinea. Tells of the courage and irreverence of the Aussie digger in appalling conditions. A great Australian war book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews