The Architect of Victory The Military Career of Lieutenant General Sir Frank Horton Berryman

Lieutenant General Sir Frank Berryman is one of the most important, yet relatively unknown officers in the history of the Australian Army. Despite his reputedly caustic personality and noted conflicts with some senior officers, Berryman was crucial to Australia's success during the Second World War. But did the man known as 'Berry the Bastard' deserve his reputation? Bold, calculating and talented, Berryman was at the forefront of operations that led to the defeat of the Japanese, and his operational planning secured Australia's victories at Bardia, Tobruk and in New Guinea during the Pacific War. With access to rare private papers, Peter Dean charts Berryman's special relationships with senior US and Australian officers such as MacArthur, Chamberlin, Blamey, Lavarack and Morshead, and explains why the man poised to become the next Chief of General Staff would never fulfil his ambition.

Introduction; Part I. The Formative Years, 1894–1939: 1. The foundations of a military career; 2. A gunners-war; 3. The bitter-sweet years; Part II. Battle Plans and Command, 1939–1942: 4. North Africa; 5. Bardia and Tobruk; 6. Operation Exporter; Part III. The Pacific War, 1942–1945: 7. War with Japan; 8. New Guinea force; 9. Operation Postern; 10. Reconquest; 11. Two armies - two headquarters; Part IV. The Post-World War, 1946–1981: 12. All careers must come to an end; Conclusion. In reflection, 1894–1941.

Despite his reputedly caustic personality and his noted fallouts with senior officials, Lieutenant General Sir Frank Berryman was critical to Australia's success during World War II. Peter Dean charts Berryman's special relationships with senior US and Australian officers and explains why the man poised to become the next Chief of General Staff would never fulfil his ambition.

Peter Dean is a Fellow at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University. He teaches on the Centre's graduate program as well as at the Australian Command and Staff College. He is currently working on a history of the Australian-American military relationship in the South West Pacific, 1942–1945, which is being funding through a United States Studies Centre (USSC) Grant. As part of this project, Peter will be a Research Associate at the USSC at the University of Sydney, and a visiting scholar at Georgetown University and the Australian Defence Force Academy, UNSW. Peter is a contributing editor to the journal Global War Studies and a peer review editor for Cambridge University Press and Murdoch Press.