Frank Walker – författare

The Vietnamese hilltribes made him a demi-god. The CIA wanted to kill him. This is the remarkable true story of Australian war hero Barry Petersen.As he flew over South East Asia towards Vietnam, Captain Barry Petersen struggled to keep an aura of calm. Inwardly he was incredibly excited. Aged 28, highly trained, with experience in anti-communist guerilla warfare, he was about to embark on the biggest and most important mission of his life.In 1963, Australian Army Captain Barry Petersen was sent to Vietnam. It was one of the most tightly held secrets of the Vietnam War: long before combat troops set foot there and under the command of the CIA, Petersen was ordered to train and lead guerilla squads of Montagnard tribesmen against the Viet Cong in the remote Central Highlands.Petersen successfully formed a fearsome militia, named ''Tiger Men''. A canny leader, he was courageous in battle, and his bravery saw him awarded the coveted Military Cross, and worshipped by the hill tribes.But his success created enemies, not just within the Viet Cong. Like Marlon Brando''s character in ''Apocolyse Now'', some in the CIA saw Petersen as having gone native. His refusal, when asked, to turn his Tiger Men into assassins as part of the notorious CIA Phoenix Program only strengthened that belief. The CIA strongly resented anyone who stood in their way. Some in the US intelligence were determined Petersen had to go and he was lucky to make it out of the mountains alive. The Tiger Man of Vietnam reveals the compelling true story of little-known Australian war hero Barry Petersen.''One of those great untold stories and Walker tells it with verve and excitement and, with meticulous attention to detail'' - Sydney Morning Herald''Drips with adventure and intrigue and has at its centre a personality boys of all ages will identify with'' - The Age''Walker''s finely researched book goes beyond the biographical account of an Australian war hero'' - Sun Herald''Walker''s book about Petersen, The Tiger Man Of Vietnam, is well-crafted and racily written'' - Weekend Australian

Amazing revelations and extraordinary exploits of Australia''s elite secret warriors.There was something unique about Australians and New Zealanders in war that prompted World War II Allied commanders to turn to ANZAC soldiers, sailors and airmen to carry out the most dangerous and virtually impossible missions behind enemy lines.Paddling canoes 4,000 kilometres to attack enemy ships in Singapore; lightning raids on Rommel''s forces in the deserts of North Africa. Flying bombers at tree-top level deep into Nazi Germany to destroy vital targets; rescuing sultans and future US presidents from under the noses of the Japanese and playing crucial roles in the greatest commando raid of the war at St Nazaire - the Aussies and Kiwis were there.The special forces showed incredible bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. They were determined to complete their missions. Often alone and far behind enemy lines,they demonstrated resourcefulness, spirit and a humanity that inspired others to follow them.Frank Walker, author of bestselling books on the Vietnam War and the British atomic tests in Australia, brings to life the amazing exploits and extraordinary stories of this select band of heroes..

''The story reaches out and grabs you by the throat'' - Dr Clare Wright, historian and author of The Forgotten Rebels of EurekaThe facts are shocking. The treachery is chilling. The fallout ongoing.This edition contains a new author note with shocking new material that has come to light as a result of the groundbreaking original publication.Investigative journalist Frank Walker''s Maralinga is a must-read true story of the abuse of our servicemen, scientists treating the Australian population as lab rats and politicians sacrificing their own people in the pursuit of power.During the Menzies era, with the blessing of the Prime Minister, the British government exploded twelve atomic bombs on Australian soil. RAAF pilots were ordered to fly into nuclear mushroom clouds, soldiers told to walk into radioactive ground zero, sailors retrieved highly contaminated debris - none of them aware of the dangers they faced.But the betrayal didn''t end with these servicemen. Secret monitoring stations were set up around the country to measure radiation levels and a clandestine decades-long project stole bones from dead babies to see how much fallout had contaminated their bodies - their grieving parents were never told. This chilling exposé drawn from extensive research and interviews with surviving veterans reveals the betrayal of our troops and our country.''An amazing tale – utterly gripping, it reads like a thriller'' - Jon Faine, ABC Radio Melbourne''This book will contribute to a much greater awareness and perhaps much more action on this issue'' - Fran Kelly, ABC Radio National''Walker demonstrates powerfully why, regardless of the context in which the testing took place, the emotional legacy of Maralinga will linger in the Australian psyche, just as do Gallipoli, Bodyline and Singapore. The cost in terms of damage to health, the environment and public trust in government will remain with us for generations to come'' - The Australian''Shocking revelations…'' - Margaret Throsby, Midday Interview, ABC Classic FM''An extraordinary story – there are things here that would make your hair stand on end'' - Philip Clark, ABC Radio Canberra''This book should be on the school syllabus'' - Andrew O''Keefe, Weekend Sunrise

In October 1943 Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Josef Stalin signed a solemn pact that once their enemies were defeated the Allied powers would ''pursue them to the uttermost ends of the earth and will deliver them to their accusers in order that justice may be done''. Nowhere did they say that justice would be selective. But it would prove to be.TRAITORS outlines the treachery of the British, American and Australian governments, who turned a blind eye to those who experimented on Australian prisoners of war. Journalist and bestselling author Frank Walker details how Nazis hired by ASIO were encouraged to settle in Australia and how the Catholic Church, CIA and MI6 helped the worst Nazi war criminals escape justice. While our soldiers were asked to risk their lives for King and country, Allied corporations traded with the enemy; Nazi and Japanese scientists were enticed to work for Australia, the US and UK; and Australia''s own Hollywood hero Errol Flynn was associating with Nazi spies. The extraordinary revelations in TRAITORS detail the ugly side of war and power and the many betrayals of our ANZACs. After reading this book you can''t help but wonder, what else did they hide?

Swashbuckler, daredevil racing-car champion, Winter Olympian, gambler, smuggler, scoundrel, stud and suspected Nazi agent who died a mysterious death - this is the fascinating story of the scandalous Freddie McEvoy.Born in Melbourne in 1907, Freddie''s life took him from socialising with a young Errol Flynn in Sydney and on to the French Riviera in the heady years leading up to World War II. With his dashing good looks and charm, Freddie lived a swashbuckling life, quickly figuring out his path to easy fortune was through lonely rich women. World War II didn''t stop Freddie''s hedonistic pursuits - he skipped enlistment for Australia and Britain to party on in Hollywood, where he renewed his friendship with the now infamous Errol Flynn. Always short of cash, Freddie smuggled guns and diamonds on his yacht between California and Mexico and was rumoured to have worked as a spy. It was a life lived large and Freddie''s death in 1951 was under the most mysterious circumstances off the coast of Morocco: his body was found naked and scalped . . .Frank Walker, bestselling author of The Tiger Man of Vietnam and Maralinga, has for the first time uncovered the complete, outrageous and incredible true story of Freddie McEvoy, Australia''s daredevil lothario.''Freddie was one of the great livers of life. He lived it the way he saw it - he didn''t give a hoot.''Errol Flynn''Pleasure is my business.'' Freddie McEvoy''an extraordinary yarn . . . finely researched'' Sun-Herald on Frank Walker''s Ghost Platoon