After retiring in 1997, Brian Robertson, resident of The Terraces, pursued his passion for writing. From textbooks to military memoirs, his latest book, Voices of Australian Veterans, explores the life stories of 18 Australian veterans who served between W
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Resident and author Brian talks about his latest book


Monday, 15 July 2024

After retiring in 1997, Brian Robertson, resident of The Terraces, pursued his passion for writing. From textbooks to military memoirs, his latest book, Voices of Australian Veterans, explores the life stories of 18 Australian veterans who served between World War II and the Vietnam War.

Writing career

Since retiring in 1997, Brian has been engaged in writing. Initially, his focus was on school textbooks for South Pacific schools in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. However, after a shift in the business landscape, he redirected his efforts toward books in the military memoir genre. 

Brian's literary journey began with "Digger’s Story," co-authored with David Barrett, recounting David's experiences as a Japanese Prisoner of War (POW) and his subsequent struggle for compensation for all POWs from Japan. The book was published by Five Mile Press in 2012. 

Following this, Brian penned "A Gordon For Me," published by Ringwood Press in Glasgow, Scotland, chronicling his two years in the Gordon Highlanders, a famous infantry regiment of the British Army originally formed in 1794, until their amalgamation in 1994 to form the Highlanders.

Voices of Australian Veterans

His latest endeavour, "Voices of Australian Veterans" (VAV), is a 450-page compilation presenting the life stories of eighteen Australian Veterans who served their country between World War II and the Vietnam War. At 87 years old, Brian reflects on the contributors' ages, ranging from 80 to 102 years, with a majority residing in retirement villages, including six from The Terraces. Notably, all but one of the eighteen contributors were members of the Returned Services League (RSL). 

In "Voices of Australian Veterans," Brian diverges from conventional military memoirs by allowing each veteran to narrate their own story. His role as the author was primarily to introduce each character and provide a brief conclusion to their life account. Brian's commitment to maintaining the authenticity of each individual's narrative shines through, ensuring readers experience the distinct style, vocabulary and unique stories firsthand. By preserving the veterans' original language as recorded, Brian aims to evoke readers' genuine emotional responses and enable them to form their own judgments about each storyteller. 

The book, published by Sid Harta Publishers, is a candid and unfiltered portrayal of veterans' experiences, offering readers a glimpse into their lives akin to conversing with old comrades. If you are eager to delve into these compelling narratives, "Voices of Australian Veterans" is available for purchase on https://booksbybrian.com.au.


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