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y separately published work icon Courage Under Fire single work   autobiography  
Issue Details: First known date: 2020... 2020 Courage Under Fire
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'A man selfless in the face of threat. Courageous in the face of terror. Generous in the face of suffering. And humble in the face of an honour bestowed.' Dame Quentin Bryce

'On 24 August 2010, in battle in Afghanistan, Corporal Daniel Keighran risked his life in a hail of gunfire to save his fellow soldiers. His actions saw him awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia, making him the 99th Australian to receive our country's highest award for bravery.

'Courage Under Fire tells of Daniel's unlikely journey to become one of Australia's most celebrated soldiers.

'Growing up was tough for Daniel. When he was eleven, his father showed up in his life, for the first time, with a gunshot wound to the stomach. He relocated his son, daughter and their mother 400 kilometres away from their loving grandparents and a coastal home to a shack with a dirt floor in outback Queensland. From then on, Daniel fought to maintain a sense of order and purpose amid the chaos of family violence and criminal activity.

'Inspired by his much-loved grandfather, a WWII veteran, Daniel joined the army. There he found the structure that was missing from his teen years. Although just 17, Daniel adapted quickly to the demands of life in the military, always willing to learn, always wanting to grow, always seeking to emulate the example of his grandfather.

'Courage Under Fire is an outstanding military memoir, packed with tales of multiple tours, accounts of extraordinary camaraderie, and a reflection on the unseen cost of service. Most of all it is a testament to the idea that anything is possible if you know what you stand for.' (Publication summary)

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Works about this Work

‘So Here Is My True Story’ : Australian Military Memoirs and the Construction of Public Understanding of Australia’s War in Afghanistan Amanda Laugesen , 2023 single work criticism
— Appears in: Australian Historical Studies , vol. 54 no. 1 2023; (p. 91-108)

'Australia’s war in Afghanistan has led to the production of a number of military memoirs, published commercially and reaching a diverse readership. These memoirs shape public understandings of the experience of the war and how it was fought. This article analyses a selection of these military memoirs, focusing on how soldier-authors frame their reasons for joining the military and for being deployed to war. The article pays attention to descriptions of combat, mateship, and the enemy, and to the ways in which these books convey the costs of war.' (Publication abstract) 

Serving up an Honest Look at Keighran Mark Dapin , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 21 November 2020; (p. 16)

— Review of Courage Under Fire Daniel Keighran , Tony Park , 2020 single work autobiography
Serving up an Honest Look at Keighran Mark Dapin , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 21 November 2020; (p. 16)

— Review of Courage Under Fire Daniel Keighran , Tony Park , 2020 single work autobiography
‘So Here Is My True Story’ : Australian Military Memoirs and the Construction of Public Understanding of Australia’s War in Afghanistan Amanda Laugesen , 2023 single work criticism
— Appears in: Australian Historical Studies , vol. 54 no. 1 2023; (p. 91-108)

'Australia’s war in Afghanistan has led to the production of a number of military memoirs, published commercially and reaching a diverse readership. These memoirs shape public understandings of the experience of the war and how it was fought. This article analyses a selection of these military memoirs, focusing on how soldier-authors frame their reasons for joining the military and for being deployed to war. The article pays attention to descriptions of combat, mateship, and the enemy, and to the ways in which these books convey the costs of war.' (Publication abstract) 

Last amended 29 Jun 2021 10:13:45
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