The Bulldog Track cover art

The Bulldog Track

A grandson's story of an ordinary man's war and survival on the other Kokoda trail

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The Bulldog Track

By: Peter Phelps
Narrated by: Peter Phelps
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About this listen

 This is the story of Tom Phelps and the 'other Kokoda Track'. Seventy-five years later, Tom's grandson, award-winning actor and writer Peter Phelps, is sharing this inspiring tale of resilience and survival.

March 1942: The world is at war. Too old to fight and with jobs scarce at home, Tom Phelps found work as a carpenter in the goldfields of the New Guinea Highlands. No one expected the Japanese to attack in the Pacific. But they did.

Tom and his mates weren't going to hang around and wait to be killed. With escape routes bombed by the Japanese, their only option was to try to reach safety by foot, through some of the most rugged terrain on Earth - the Bulldog Track.

Back home in Sydney, Rose Phelps, their son, George, and three daughters, Joy, Shirley and Ann, waited for news of Tom's fate. George watched the horrors of war unfold on newsreels knowing his dad was 'over there'.

Travelling by foot, raft, canoe, schooner, train, luck and courage, Tom Phelps, half-starved and suffering malaria, would eventually make it home. His stories of New Guinea would lead his son and grandson to their own experiences with the country.

The Bulldog Track is a grandson's story of an ordinary man's war. It is an incredible tale of survival and the indomitable Aussie spirit. Asia Australia, New Zealand & Oceania Japan Military Military & War Oceania World War II War

Critic reviews

His appreciation for a good story is evident; this writer possesses a commanding turn of phrase.
Review
This book perfectly captures the Aussie spirit and the heart of what mateship really means.
The themes of separation, loneliness, doubt and heroism are all here, and we gain a clear picture of the emotional cost of war to an individual family.
The amazing feat of his indomitable grandfather and his ragged but resilient companions has been presented in an exciting story demonstrating great family pride and affection.
Phelps' story is an extraordinary and unforgettable read.
All stars
Most relevant
As a Gold Rush fan, with an interest in Pacific Island history and not shy of a raft adventure myself, I expected The Bulldog Track to tick all the right boxes. With an audio book, you don’t get to see pictures that might have appeared in the print version, but people and places are described in enough detail that it is like watching a film. A fascinating education on life in PNG and Australia in the 1930s/40s, with the effect of British influence and war on the opposite side of the world and an interesting account of the relationship between two cultures. Whilst I love adventure, the circumstances that brought about Tom's story makes you stop and realise how lucky you are to be able to do so by choice. Many biographies tend to overplay the heroics of their subject, but in The Bulldog Track, the author manages to cleverly convey Tom as the absolute hero that any father is in the eyes of a loving son, whilst simultaneously describing his adventures with respectful modesty. It is worth listening to the audio version as, narrated by Tom’s own grandson, the true love, pride and tenderness for what is essentially his family heritage resonates and is as intrinsic to this tale as the historical recollections. After listening to The Bulldog Track, I am left feeling humbled, educated and truly grateful for family and a safe place to call home.

A humbling story for any adventurer

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