The unforgettable events witnessed by an impressionable young Georgian originally found their way into print, piecemeal fashion, courtesy of the Confederate Veteran magazine. Long buried in the pages of this magazine's volumes, Bradwell's engaging and readable story is finally told in its entirety.

From August 7, 1942 until February 24, 1944, the US Navy fought the most difficult campaign in its history. Between the landing of the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal and the final withdrawal of the Imperial Japanese Navy from its main South Pacific base at Rabaul, the US Navy suffered such high personnel losses that for years it refused to publicly release total casualty figures. The Solomons campaign saw the US Navy at its lowest point, forced to make use of those ships that had survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and other units of the pre-war navy that had been hastily transferred to the Pacific. 140 days after the American victory at Midway, USS Enterprise was the only pre-war carrier left in the South Pacific and the US Navy would have been overwhelmed in the face of Japanese naval power had there been a third major fleet action. At the same time, another under-resourced campaign had broken out on the island of New Guinea. The Japanese attempt to reinforce their position there had led to the Battle of the Coral Sea in May and through to the end of the year, American and Australian armed forces were only just able to prevent a Japanese conquest of New Guinea. The end of 1942 saw the Japanese stopped in both the Solomons and New Guinea, but it would take another 18 hard-fought months before Japan was forced to retreat from the South Pacific. Under the Southern Cross draws on extensive first-hand accounts and new analysis to examine the Solomons and New Guinea campaigns which laid the groundwork for Allied victory in the Pacific War.

“THIS IS THE WORLD WAR II HISTORY OF AN ORGANIZATION CONSIDERED BY many as one of the unique and most colorful combat units ever to serve in the United States Army in time of war—the Americal Division. “Despite its early entry into combat on Guadalcanal in 1942, and its subsequent long period of service in the Pacific, the Americal, as a unit, cannot lay claim to having beaten the Japanese alone. Japan was beaten to her knees by the collective power of the Army, the Navy, the Marine Corps, The Air Forces, and our allies. The Americal Division was a significant member of this powerful team of armed might which successfully overcame aggression in the Pacific. “The story of the Americal is primarily that of the humble riflemen of the infantry regiments, without whom the Division’s combat record would not be what it is today. No mere words of praise or of appreciation for their daily sacrifices are sufficient to express the gratitude in the hearts of those who have seen them in action. “The story of the Americal is also that of the many men who worked with the riflemen or for them, directly or indirectly. Theirs were thankless tasks, performed under hardships of all kinds, but without these valuable men the regiments could not have operated efficiently for long. “This history of the Americal Division represents the fruits of more than two years of work among records of the Division. As a whole, covering the entire life of the Division, it is as complete as time and space will allow. As such, it should stand primarily as a record, and a symbol, of the sincere courage and devotion to duty of all who served in the Americal.”

Under the Southern Cross, the eighth book in the Brothers Series and the fourth in the Shamrocks Saga, continues the story begun in Shamrocks in the Heather with the adventures of the rapidly maturing younger members of the Quigley clan. World War II is now in full swing and the Quigley cousins (by whatever name they're known) volunteer for duty in the armed forces: Andrew, Finn and Doug in the RAF, Dennis in the Royal Navy and Geordie in the Army. Roarke, trapped in Australia by the outbreak of war, joins the coastwatchers in the Solomon Islands. This job, vital to the war effort and extremely dangerous, keep Martin, Anne and the twins on tenterhooks. Whether due to old age or the toll taken by the stress of war, the family suffers many deaths. The younger generation suffers greatly as well as they perform their various stints in the military. In the meantime, the demon inhabiting the soul of Adolph Hitler is beginning to believe the Nazis are no longer going to win the war. He takes desperate and sometimes foolish measures to try to rectify the deteriorating situation. Lucifer, ever practical, decides to hedge his bet by looking at Stalin as a new would-be ally in his war to establish the Rule of Chaos. The Spear of Destiny will play a role in the outcome of the war and many forces are determined to gain control of the mystical weapon. What no one counts on is the interference of the Quigley twins. Dora and Dosia are set on reclaiming the Spear for its original owner. While a vicious war turns London into matchsticks and mainland Europe into hell-on-earth, a semi-normal life goes on. People, Quigleys included, marry and have children. Their traveling is curtailed by shortages of fuel; their gatherings are more subdued with less food and fewer gifts but a semblance of normalcy is stubbornly adhered to. So, the battle between good and evil goes on. On one side is the Prince of Hell and his faithful (?) Lieutenant Beelzebub. Or is he faithful? He's beginning to develop a reluctant admiration for the twins and even begins to like them. On the other side are the Quigleys, their Angels and the two wild-cards: Dora and Dosia. What happens to the Spear will have great bearing on the future of mankind although no one really realizes that and the twins want to keep it that way. They know this is not the last time they'll have to face and fight Lucifer and his minions but they take one day at a time, one challenge at a time while whispering the "Quigley lullaby" "Whisht now, whisht." This is not a religious book nor meant to endorse or promote any type of belief. It is intended to provide a verbal roller-coaster ride. Plus, I've grown to quite like The Old Man. Enjoy!