
Malayan Emergency and Indonesian Confrontation
1950 to 1966
[Australian Air Campaign Series – 2]
Mark Lax
Newport, NSW: Big Sky Publishing, 2021
Paperback 278pp RRP $19.99
Reviewer: Mike O’Brien, February 2023
The Royal Australian Air Force has begun to issue a series of well-illustrated books to recount its history in an easily read form. This volume, the second in the Australian Air Campaign Series, closely follows the style of the parallel Army series of books, also published by Big Sky. The Air Force History and Heritage Branch seeks to promote the understanding of Air Force history to contribute to contribute to Air Force professional education. At this bargain price it will. Like its ground counterparts, reach a much wider market.
Mark Lax is an accomplished author and historian. This book is straightforward and easy to follow. The complexities of the politics of involvement, progress of the ground and police campaigns and the detailed story of RAAF involvement are all very well described. Aircraft and their squadrons are defined and illustrated.
This is a well-conceived book in what appears to be a very valuable series. Highly recommended!
The RUSI – Vic Library thanks the publisher for making this work available for review.