ABOUT THE EVENT:

Peter FitzSimons tells the extraordinary story of Edward 'Weary' Dunlop, whose name has become synonymous with courage, compassion, and resilience.

On Thursday 6th November at the Red Mill Distillery, Balmain, join Peter FitzSimons in conversation with Richard Glover.

Copies of The Courageous Life of Weary Dunlop will be available for purchase at the venue through Roaring Stories, with FitzSimons signing copies after the discussion.

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ABOUT THE VENUE

Red Mill is based in the historic White Bay Steelworks, just across from the inner-west icon, the White Bay Power Station. Red Mill makes small batches of high-quality Rum to age in a special barrel program, blended and bottled in their wonderful, industrial home. Visiting Red Mill is a chance to see the workings of an artisanal distillery, in the historic surrounds of this remarkable building. Refreshments available to purchase include wine, beer and a signature Red Mill cocktail. We look forward to welcoming you to this unique venue.

Attendees are asked to arrive at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Seating is unallocated – another reason to arrive early to secure an optimal spot.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

The extraordinary story of the heroic doctor whose courage and leadership were a lifeline for thousands of Australian prisonersof-war on the infamous Thai-Burma Railway of World War II. In September 1939, young Australian surgeon Edward 'Weary' Dunlop was working in London when the dogs of war were unleashed. Signing up, he was commissioned a captain in the Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) and sent to the Middle East, serving in Palestine, Greece, Crete, Egypt and Tobruk. As the European war dragged on, an emboldened Japanese force captured Singapore and marched closer to Australian shores. Weary and over 3000 others sailed back to Java to fight this new enemy. At the No. 1 Allied General Hospital in Bandoeng, the Japanese were ready to murder the bedridden when Weary put his body in front of the bayonets. From that moment his leadership, ingenuity and selflessness became legend as Allied prisoners-of-war were sent to Singapore, Thailand and finally faced the hell of working as slave labour on the infamous Thai-Burma Railway. In the POW camps, tropical diseases, malnutrition, and the brutal work regime imposed by their Japanese captors meant the death toll was horrific. And yet, with little to no medical supplies, under extreme physical pressure, Weary Dunlop took risks and beatings to defy the Japanese and keep his men alive in circumstances that tested the limits of human endurance. Weary was a gentle giant of a man. A boxer and former Wallaby, he could have been an elite sportsman but chose a different path – one that led him from rural Victoria to training as a pharmacist and then to medical school. World War II was the fire that fuelled this remarkable hero. His courageous leadership and calm endurance became beacons of hope to the POWs under his command.

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ABOUT PETER FITZSIMONS

Peter FitzSimons AM is Australia's bestselling non-fiction writer, and for the past 39 years has also been a journalist and columnist with the Sydney Morning Herald and the Sun Herald. He is the author of a number of highly successful books, including Breaker Morant, Burke and Wills, Monash's Masterpiece, Kokoda, Ned Kelly and Gallipoli, as well as biographies of such notable Australians as Sir Douglas Mawson, Nancy Wake and John Eales. His passion is to tell Australian stories, our own stories: of great men and women, of stirring events in our history. Peter grew up on a farm north of Sydney, went to boarding school in Sydney and attended Sydney University. An ex-Wallaby, he also lived for several years in rural France and Italy, playing rugby for regional clubs. He and his wife, Lisa Wilkinson AM - journalist, magazine editor and television presenter - have three children; they live in Sydney.

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ABOUT RICHARD GLOVER

Richard Glover’s most recent book is “Best Wishes”, a book about making the world a better, less annoying place, one wish at a time. He is also author of “Love, Clancy” – a collection of the letters sent home by his dog Clancy to his parents in the bush; and of the bestseller “The Land Before Avocado” – a journey into the bizarre Australia of the late 60s and early 70s.

Richard’s previous books include “Flesh Wounds”, which was voted one of the top five books of the year by viewers of ABC television’s “The Book Club” and won the Readers’ Choice Award as Biography of the Year in the 2016 Australian Book Industry Awards.

Richard’s weekly humour column has been published in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age for over thirty years. He writes regularly for The Washington Post.

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TERMS & CONDITIONS

Refunds

Please note that tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled or postponed due to extenuating circumstances. Refunds are not issued within 48 hours notice of event date. Humanitix fee is nonrefundable.

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This event is presented by Roaring Stories Bookshop Balmain.

With thanks to our venue partner Red Mill and Hachette Australia.

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