The Sinking of the HMAS Sydney by Tom Lewis is a well-researched historical account of not just the sinking of the HMAS Sydney but the history of the Australian Navy. It gives an informative look at all aspects of life in the Navy during both peacetime and wartime.
We learn about routines, food, discipline, training, punishment and shore leave. We even learn about pets and Dial a Sailor.
Included is the history and development of warships, their design and protection. There is a list of WWII fighting vessels and their capabilities. And, by the end of WWII, the Navy was using Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) on shore.
There were many facts that I was unaware of, for example, the use by the Japanese Navy of suicide speed boats.
The story of the unnamed sailor who floated ashore on Christmas Island and was buried there in Feb 1942 is fascinating. As is the project spanning from 2006 to 2021 using DNA to identify him. He did serve on the HMAS Sydney. The huge amount of money needed to be raised before the actual search for the vessels could take place and the amazing search in 2008.
The HMAS Sydney was the pride of the Australian fleet. On November 19th November 1941 off the Western Australian coast Sydney disappeared. 300 German survivors were being picked up at sea by vessels and arriving on the coast in life rafts. They told the story of a battle between their raider Kormoran and the HMAS Sydney.
The mystery of exactly what happened to cause the disappearance of the HMAS Sydney with all 645 men on board was never truly understood, leading to many conspiracy theories.
With the finding of the wreck in 2008 more information was collected which enabled many questions to be answered. However, the question of why did it get so close to the Kormoran remains a mystery. The probability of why is discussed in the book. It is a sobering fact that in this one naval disaster, more Australian Servicemen died than in the Vietnam War.
Initially, I found the book hard to get into, but it is well worth the effort. The initial chapters are important to understand the eventual outcome. The book contains extracts from “letters to home” and informative photos.
Tom Lewis says that the book was not written for those who served but for family members and the families of those who served in HMAS Sydney, so they can better understand what happened to their loved ones.
The book is a fascinating read, not just for Naval families but for everyone.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club members are reading The Sinking of the HMAS Sydney by Tom Lewis. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
I love to read, any book on any topic. I now love ebooks as they are easier to store, I was running out of bookshelves! My other interests are family, gardening and our beautiful King Charles spaniel dog who is my reading companion.
The Sinking of HMAS Sydney’ by Tom Lewis and published by Big Sky Publishing.
This was such an interesting book written by a Naval Historian, it is easy to understand with naval terms and actions explained very well.
It details everyday actions onboard a wartime vessel, for examples food, entertainment and exercise.
It is a book written in chapters, each one explaining the contents.
I found it quite surprising that a lot of expressions and sayings actually originated in the navy.
The disaster of the HAMS Sydney and the raider Komoran is described in full. The tragedy regarding the incident is well covered.
In the book there are many photos which add an extra interest.
This is a great read and a book that would make a wonderful gift!
(5 stars from me)
The Sinking of HMAS Sydney by Tom Lewis (Big Sky Publishing) tells of one of Australia’s greatest naval disasters.
The HMAS Sydney was one of Australia’s main combat vessels. When it sank off the West Australian coast during the Second World War in 1941, it claimed 645 lives. With no survivors and the vessels location unknown for a long time, the circumstances of how it all came about remained a mystery. This book details how the sailors on board the vessel lived, their rituals and rules and how teamwork was essential to how they worked at sea. It goes into great detail and provides interesting background and setting, offering some insight and guidance as to what may have occurred.
The author is a military historian and former naval officer and, as evidenced throughout the book, his military and naval knowledge is clearly apparent. The book is well researched and thorough. Pleasingly it is also written in a clear and straightforward style, making it easier for a person with little military or naval expertise to understand. This book would have great appeal to anyone interested in military history.
As the daughter of a veteran of the Royal Australian Navy I have always had an interest in Australian Naval history. My father would often talk about the ships and submarines he had served on and the remarkable men he served with. I was interested to read this account of the sad story of the sinking of the HMAS Sydney.
The author Tom Frame has certainly done an amazing amount of research to bring to life the story of the warship and the crew that went down with the ship. I was not aware that the battle on the 19 November 1941 between the HMAS Sydney and the German ship, the Kormoran, off the WA coast resulted in more loss of life than that of the Vietnam war. It is still Australia’s greatest naval disaster with the loss of 645 men.
The book is a detailed account of not only the HMAS Sydney but life in the Navy. I enjoyed the very descriptive accounts of the daily life onboard a naval vessel, from food to alcohol, discipline, hierarchy, clothing, entertainment and everything in-between.
The chapters on the concept, organisation, engineering of the cruiser were a bit too detailed for me and I did skim through these sections but note that they are important to the book.
The book provides a mix of detailed facts and actual accounts from sailors which really brings the research to life.
The chapters specifically relating to the disappearance of the HMAS Sydney were riveting . The theories and controversies around the disappearance are finally put to rest and the mystery is solved when the ship is finally located.
The Sinking of the HMAS Sydney is a book that I’m sure will be recognised as one that is significant to Australian Naval history.
Tom Lewis openly displays his more than competent knowledge of the Australian Naval system in “The Sinking of HMAS Sydney.” He enables the reader to get an insight into the considerable workings of a large warship. All aspects of the cruiser are described in detail and though, we don’t follow any one particular sailor, throughout the book we get glimpses of how life would have been for many a given sailor at the time, through their inserts. Some have even supplied photographs, which obviously enhances the descriptions.
The Sinking of HMAS Sydney, is incredibly well researched and would be a valuable asset to anyone with an interest in Australian Naval procedures.
Having no such interest myself, I still found it very interesting to read the insights provided by those who lived the experience.
Well researched, well written, informative literature!
Thanks to Beauty and Lace and Big Sky Publishing. for the opportunity to read The Sinking of HMAS Sydney’ by Tom Lewis.
This is not an work of fiction but a factual account of how sailors worked, lived, were managed (and punished), and played as well as being an account of the actual sinking of the HMAS Sydney.
As mentioned it can take a little getting into but the level of detail and the information provided is a very interesting insight into Navy life and the tragedy of the loss of the ship. For any person interested in military and particularly naval history i would be an amazing and informative book to read.
Thanks again
The Sinking of HMAS Sydney has a lot of facts, history and detail which most of the readers would not know of until reading this compelling book.
As note, this story slowly brings to life what it’s like on a warship. The hardships, determination, friendships and unknowns are all featured. The realisation of what happens makes this so real and at times difficult to understand.
While initially hard to read, I found it intriguing and needed to finish it. A solid and heartfelt read.
The sinking of HMAS Sydney
The book is very interesting to learn about what it was like for the sailors on a warship.
It tells you of how the sailors were treated, and the horrible things they witnessed and being away from family for months on end.
I really enjoyed the photos which brought the story of the Sailors to life even more.
A valuable book to hang on to .
645 lives were lost when the HMAS Sydney met her fate .
Great book for anyone interested in the navy or finding out about history .
Took me awhile to read this book as I kept going back to the pictures so I could really picture in my mind what happened.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Big Sky Publishing for the opportunity to read The Sinking of HMAS Sydney.
This book is a factual account of events surrounding the sinking of HMAS Sydney which saw hundreds of lives lost during the largest naval disaster in Australia’s history. I am not familiar with Naval procedures, the operations of a large vessel or this particular part of Australia’s history, however after reading this account of events surrounding the sinking, I have a greater understanding but also of the lives lost during this disaster.
Tom Lewis’s own experience assists the reader to understand what it means to be a member of the Australian Naval force and the skills, knowledge and friendships that were created and lost.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read The Sinking of the HMAS Sydney.
This book is very detailed in the day to day life of naval personnel and the tragedy of the sinking of the HMAS Sydney – the book explains many naval terms to the average person – it is a very informative and interesting read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars