Official Histories - Southeast Asian Conflicts

Professor Peter Edwards was appointed official historian in 1982 to produce the current official history series on Australia's invovement in Southeast Asian conflicts from 1948 to 1975. This nine-volume series covers the longest period of any of the official histories and deals with the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960), the Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation (1963-1966) and the Vietnam War (1962-1972). Eight of the nine volumes have been released so far. In keeping with the previous official histories, this series covers Australian combat operations by all three services as well as the areas of strategy, diplomacy, home front politics and society, and medical matters.

Published by Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial.

Volume 1

Peter Edwards with Gregory Pemberton, Crises & Commitments: The Politics and Diplomacy of Australia's Involvement in Southeast Asian Conflicts 1948-1965 (Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 1992)

Deals with the political and diplomatic issues which led to Australian military commitment in the Vietnam War.

Volume 2

Ian McNeill, To Long Tan: The Australian Army and the Vietnam War 1950-1966 (Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 1993)

A highly readable study of the Australian Army's involvement in Vietnam up to the end of 1966, including a masterful account of the battle of Long Tan. Awarded the Templer Medal for military history in 1993.

Volume 3

Brendan G. O'Keefe and F.B.Smith, Medicine at War: Medical aspects of Australia's involvement in Southeast Asia 1950-1972 (Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 1994)

A comprehensive study of military medical matters, including the issues of malaria and 'Agent Orange'.

Volume 4

Chris Coulthard-Clark, The RAAF in Vietnam: Australian Air Involvement in the Vietnam War 1962-1975 (Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 1995)

A detailed account of RAAF involvement in Vietnam.

Volume 5

Jeffrey Grey and Peter Dennis, Emergency & Confrontation: Australian Military Operations in Malaya and Borneo 1950-1966 (Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 1996)

Deals with Australian military involvement of all three services in the Malayan Emergency and Indonesian / Malaysian Confrontation.

Volume 6

Peter Edwards, A Nation at War: Australian Politics, Society and Diplomacy during the Vietnam War 1965-1975 (Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 1997)

This volume covers the controversial 'home front' issues of the anti-war and anti-conscription movements, the political and diplomatic rationale for the escalation of Australia's military commitment and the eventual withdrawal of Australian forces from Vietnam; contains a comprehensive appendix on the National Service scheme with a list of the birthdates drawn in all ballots from 1965-72. Awarded the Colin Roderick Award for the best Australian book of 1997.

Volume 7

Jeffrey Grey, Up Top: The Royal Australian Navy in Southeast Asian Conflicts, 1955-1972 (Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 1998)

A detailed account of RAN involvement in Vietnam.

Volume 8

Ian McNeill and Ashley Ekins, On the Offensive: The Australian Army in the Vietnam War 1967-1968 (Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 2003)

The successor volume to To Long Tan, continuing the story of the Australian Army in the Vietnam War through the expansion of the Australian Task Force to the battles at Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral.