Peter FitzSimons Books In Order

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Peter FitzSimons is a history, biography memoir, and sports writer who is also one of the most successful and prominent publishing and media personalities. He is a busy man as his work usually involves penning columns for “Sun Herald” and “Sunday Morning Herald” newspapers, authoring bestselling novels, and giving expert opinion on “The Back Page” television show on Foxtel. The in-demand presenter and guest speaker also works for the “London Daily Telegraph” as a correspondent. He is a much-traveled international rugby player and for the past twenty years, he was part of the core of the Wallabies. He is proficient in four languages and as a TV host and presenter, he has interviewed some of the most famous people in the world such as Diego Maradona the football great, Mother Theresa of Calcutta, and George Bush the former US President. He is passionate about both fiction and non-fiction writing and has written several autobiographies over the years. He has penned the biographies of Nene King the magazine queen, John Eales, and Nick Farr-Jones the World Cup-winning captains of the Wallabies, Steve Waugh the Test cricket captain, Nancy Wake the war heroine and Kim Beazley the former Federal Opposition Leader. In 2001, he sold nearly 250,000 books making him the best-selling nonfiction author in Australia. He would repeat the feat in 2004 and 2006 with the novels “Kokoda” and “Tobruk” respectively.

FitzSimons was born in Peat’s Ridge in New South Wales and attended the Knox Grammar School before he moved to Ohio for a year after accepting an American Field Service Scholarship. On coming back home, he went to Sydney University and majored in political science and government and finally graduated with an arts degree. In 1984, Alan Jones the coach of the Wallabies gave him a chance on the team and this opened the doors for his professional rugby career. He would go on to live in Italy and France where he played rugby and learned Italian, French, and Spanish. Five years later, he was back in Australia and played seven Test matches for Bob Dwyer the new coach of the Wallabies. In 1989, he retired from playing and got a job working for “The Sydney Morning Herald” and has since become one of the most popular columnists at the paper. He has been called the finest sports journalist in Australia by Andrew Denton. Over the years working as a journalist, he has had the opportunity to interview an impressive cast that includes Carl Lewis, George Bush, Joe Montana, Sir Edmund Hillary, Nicki Lauda, Jodie Foster. He has also interviewed some of the most popular sports figures in Australia from Herb Elliot to Lionel Rose and Shane Gould. He has also had the honor of interviewing all prime ministers from Gough Whitlam up to Julia Gillard.

Peter FitzSimons published his two bestselling titles “Little Theories of Life” and “Basking in Beirut” in 1991. He would then sign on with Nine Network to become a sports programs and current affairs presenter for four years. In 1995, he started working for “Foxtel” where he has been to this day. As an author, FitzSimons made a reputation for himself as one of the greatest storytellers in Australia. His novels cut through legend and myth and provide insights into the lead protagonist in the story from the infamous Ned Kelly to the wartime triumph of John Monash. In 2011, he was made an officer of the Order of Australia for his contribution to conservation, literature, charity, journalism, and sports. Peter is also a Fellow of the Sydney University Senate, a member of the ANZAZ Centenary Advisory Board, the Australian War Memorial Council, and also founded the Cauliflower Club that works to raise money for spinal research. A speaker on a wide range of subjects, he is often asked to give after-dinner talks all over Australia.

“Batavia” by Peter FitzSimons has been described as the “Adults Only” version of “Nightmare on Elm Street” meeting “Lord of the Flies.” The story is set in the seventeenth century where the Batavia, the pride and joy of the Dutch East India Company is making its debut voyage from Amsterdam to Indonesia with a ton of treasure unprecedented in the history of the Dutch nation. But the marvelous vessel is about to be the victim of a mutinous plot when it strikes a shallow reef of the Western Australian coast during the night. Francisco Pelsaert the Commandeur decides that the best course of action is to travel the 2000 miles of sea to go find help. Jeronimus Cornelisz his deputy takes charge of the remaining crew and immediately realizes that they do not have enough supplies to feed 250 people on the small island. Under the radar, he talks to 40 of the mutineers telling them of a plan to save themselves that would include killing most of the crew and sparing about six or so women that include Lucretia Jansz. He has always had a fancy for the woman who is one of the most beautiful women in the Netherlands and he would not mind having her to provide for his sexual needs. When the carnage begins, the only hope lies with Wiebbe Hayes, a previously anonymous soldier who will do everything to survive while hoping that the captain makes it back soon to rescue them.

Peter FitzSimons novel “Nancy Wake” is set in the 1930s and tells the story of a woman living the Bohemian life in the French capital. She is a young and naïve journalist that was on a Vienna street when she witnesses a horrific episode of Nazi violence. She immediately decides that she will do everything in her power to fight the Nazis. She starts as a courier doing odd jobs for allied soldiers but soon she is leading a highly successful escape network that she camouflages with her high society lifestyle in Marseille. Her network soon became so notorious and successful that she came to the attention of the Gestapo. They have nicknamed her the white mouse since she is so good at evading and slipping through the traps they set for her. She flees France but her passionate hatred of the Nazis will not allow her to stay away. She is trained by the British Special Operations team and then sneaked back behind enemy lines in France to continue her work. Once again, she causes a lot of angst for the Nazis leading the Maquis, a powerful underground resisting force. She trains the civilians of the organization and supplies weapons while organizing parachute drops in the fight against the Nazis.

“Kokoda” by Peter FitzSimons is the story of one of the most iconic battles of the Second World War, especially for Australians. But few people remember the details of the war or the names of the men that were involved. More Australians lost their lives fighting in the war than in any other World War II campaign. Kokoda saw Australia deploy a force of ill-equipped young men who faced off against a hitherto unstoppable and highly experience Japanese fore on a precarious and narrow forest track. Pinned back and outnumbered, the Australians risk everything to ensure the Japanese do not make headway towards the Australian mainland. They endure inhospitable terrain, constant rain, and almost nonexistent ammunition and food supplies. In addition to battling the Japanese, they also battle dysentery and malaria. The Australian troops were exhausted and wounded beyond belief but they never gave up.