Kokoda

A major two part documentary series based on the book by Paul Ham and s seen on ABC1.  From the corridors of power to the blood-stained battlefields of the Papua New Guinea highlands, Kokoda tells the story of the brutal World War II military campaign fought between Australia and Japan.

From day one of the Kokoda campaign the fighting was politicised, mismanaged, mythologised and venerated.

This DVD delves behind the myths of war to tell the story from both sides of the conflict. It provides an authentic and comprehensive account of the desperate confusion of war, the intricate connections between the frontline soldiers and military high command, and the political agendas that influenced the campaign and continue to percolate through contemporary Australian society.

The Kokoda story is told through re-enactments and interviews with veterans and historians.  The inclusion of interviews with Japanese soldiers makes this documentary fascinating, horrifying and heartbreaking.

The documentary manages to convey the battles shocking nature without ever feeling gratuitous. Some of the "young" Aussies who fought actually thought babies came from cabbages and it details like this and seeing young smoky howson fighting a war that makes the 2 part documentary so compelling.

It is told so well you get a real feeling for what is what like to exist at Kokoda, mud, constant rain sometimes all day and all night with slippery moss underfoot which felt like walking on "dead animals", the fear, the hunger and the unspeakable horror.

The Kokoda DVD is available in store now.