Welcome to Books by Brian
Welcome to "Books by Brian" where you can easily find all the books authored or co-authored by Brian Robertson.
Click on "Books" in the main menu for all the books I have had some part in creating since 1998. If you would like to know more about any of these books just ask me.
At long last there are three books for sale on this site. They are: —
- Voices of Australian Veterans by Brian Robertson , published by Sid Harta Publishing, 2024. Cost — $30.00 each plus any postage.
- Digger’s Story by David Barrett and Brian Robertson, second edition, published by Ocean Reeve Publishing, 2024. Cost — $32.00 each plus any postage.
- A Gordon For Me by Brian Robertson, second edition, published by Ocean Reeve Publishing, 2024. Cost — $25.00 each plus any postage.
If you want to purchase a book just get in touch with me either by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. which I prefer, or phone me on my mobile on 0474 985 700 or ordinary phone on 07 3879 4195.
Also please note there is a great deal of information on this website that was written many years ago and we are in the process of up-dating everything.
The first book I ever wrote was with my very good friend Kerepuke Hivu Toben. Toben and I wrote this book in the mid 1990s mostly during long lunch hours at the Honiara Hotel when Toben and I were employed on an Australian/Solomon Islands project to build schools and develop curriculum. We had a great time! I started early each morning to make up for the long lunch hour! The book was Organising School Agriculture, published by Pearson Education Australia.
Most of the school books on this site were written with South Pacific schools in mind between the mid 1990s and about 2012 by myself and many friends. They are no longer for sale on this site but I am still very willing and able to discuss any of these books with any South Pacific teacher or student. I will also let you know how to access these books as best I can. I taught and developed curriculum in both Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands for twelve years and loved every minute of it.
Anyone can ask me at any time, about any of the books listed on this site. I will respond to all I believe are genuine questions.
Books By Brian Blog
June 18, 2023
This website has had little interest for readers over the past few years, but that is about to change. During the last few years, I have been engaged in writing my latest book. It is now in the publishing stages at Sid Harta Publishing, and the title is Voices of…
May 25, 2018
As always the price of books on this site includes postage to anywhere in Australia. However due to changes of how the books are now sourced, and increased mailing costs, prices have risen slightly. Prices reflect the most cost effective way I know to supply single book copies to anywhere…
May 21, 2018
I know that teachers in South Pacific schools have great difficulty getting the textbooks they require. Therefore I would like to help you obtain the books you need for any subject in either primary or secondary. This site illustrates only the books written or co-written by me but I promise…
October 27, 2017
I hope everyone is thinking, how the heck can I get a copy of this book! Here is how. The book is certainly now available at Ringwood Publishing. It is also available at Waterstones bookshops although in some you may have to order it. The book is also available at…
June 01, 2017
My new book, "A Gordon For Me" is being published by Ringwood Publishing in Glasgow. This book is about my time in the Gordon Highlanders in 1955 and 56. Learn how politicians were responsible for the deaths of 371 British soldiers, many of them National Servicemen, in Cyprus during the…
January 14, 2016
Brian's latest book, "A Gordon For Me", about the Gordon Highlanders in Cyprus in 1955 and 1956 will soon be available. Read about the action of the First Battalion during 1955 and 56 from the point of view of a private soldier. Learn how politics caused the waste of 371…
March 26, 2014
A reply from the Department of Foreign Affairs:– Here is the reply to my letter about books to PNG schools addressed to the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julia Bishop. Reading this response it appears that Australian aid money will no longer be available to PNG for the direct supply…
February 26, 2014
I wrote the following letter to Julie Bishop the Australian Minister for Foreign affairs last week. Sure it would be good for me if my books were sold to PNG but I do believe it would also be good for PNG school students. I will also post the reply to…
January 22, 2014
I’ve just been to see the film, “The Railway Man.” What a terrific film, and imagine my surprise when I find out about Nagase Takashi whom I know a lot about from my late friend David Barrett. Digger’s Story written by David Barrett and Brian Robertson describes in detail David’s…
January 19, 2014
You will see a lot more comment from me on the front page of this site over the coming months. Let me start by explaining about the cuts to Australia’s foreign aid budget announced last week on the 17th January 2014. Although the Foreign Aid budget has been cut by…
January 19, 2014
It is taking me a long long time to learn how to cooperate with other sites out in the cyber world but one site I would like to recommend to those of us who are interested in anything military is this site http://www.books-forever.net.au. They have been good enough to let…
November 10, 2013
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is common in troops returning from Afghanistan. But David (Digger) Barrett diagnosed himself in 1968 as a result of his WW2 service, which ended in 1946. He called it Anxiety Neurosis and he was pretty brave to admit to this in 1968. In his own…
October 25, 2013
Burnside is where people go to rest, socialise and appreciate peace and quiet—WRONG! It’s where over 55 year olds go who are bored, who enjoy a good fight, hate authority, argue like hell, question every rule and regulation, love to interfere in the lives of others and, of course, it…
August 20, 2013
During the years that David Barrett and I wrote Digger’s Story we always had it in mind that we might use more of the material we had. David had collected this from other Prisoners of War who had shared similar experiences during World War Two. Those who have read Digger’s…
February 20, 2013
In March 1942, the survivors of the USS Houston and the HMAS Perth, both of which had been destroyed, joined the Australians British, Dutch and Indians at Changi. By then it was home to some 60,000 POWs. Digger met and made friends with quite a few of the Americans. (He…
February 09, 2013
Author is interviewed for the Terraces Times, publication at the The Terraces, A Queensland retirement village. Interviewer is the Editor, Chris Caught. Chris: How did it come about that you wrote David’s story? I can’t imagine that one morning over cornflakes you said to Marjorie “I think I’ll go upstairs…
December 21, 2012
Two more interviews with Brian and David have been uploaded to the warstory.com.au home page. Note: The Digger's Story website has now been amalgamated into the Books by Brian Website. These were recorded just a week or two before David died but have just been added to the website. In…
October 05, 2012
Paul Ham, author of the new book, "Sandakan", published by Random House wrote a letter to the Emperor of Japan and published it in The Australian on Tuesday this week (2nd October 2012). The murders (for that is what they were) were worse than just about any other atrocity imposed…
September 25, 2012
Good news! The book Digger’s Story is about to be joined by a revised version more suitable for younger readers from about the age of 10 years upwards. It is expected that this version of the book will be available from the start of next year in time for the…
September 24, 2012
The Assistant Principal at Rosebery Primary School in the Northern Territory suggested that she would like to involve two senior classes by reading Digger’s Story to them and discussing it with them. The students could then ask questions of the author (Brian Robertson) or make comments about the book on…
September 23, 2012
David Barrett was born in February 1922 and died on July 22, 2012. He was a Prisoner of War of the Japanese for three and a half years but lead a glorious life, enjoying each and every day—even those as a POW. These were black days of course but it…
August 09, 2012
This is to inform all readers that the launch of 'Digger's Story' at the Wheeler Centre on 23 of August has been cancelled. It would not be the same without the appearance of David (Digger) Barrett and so the decision has been taken to cancel this event. The good news…
August 06, 2012
Friends and family of David and Brian and others gathered at the Nook Caffé Restaurant in Jindalee in Brisbane on Saturday 4th August for the official launch of "Digger's Story" in Brisbane. Attendees were able to purchase signed copies of the book while enjoying the excellent service and food from Mary…
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