Peter FitzSimons Books in Order

An early collection of columns and travel pieces in which FitzSimons riffs on politics, sport and everyday absurdities, many drawn from his time reporting overseas and encountering life far from suburban Australia.

An authorised biography of Wallabies scrum-half and World Cup–winning captain Nick Farr-Jones, tracing his rise from Sydney schoolboy to leading Australia’s golden era in rugby and his life beyond the game.

A lively collection of rugby tales from FitzSimons’ playing days and reporting career, mixing on-field dramas, dressing-room yarns and snapshots of the characters who helped shape Australian and international rugby.

Investigates the bitter 1990s power struggle that turned rugby union professional, following Kerry Packer, Rupert Murdoch, administrators and players as they battle for control of the game’s future across the rugby world.

A full-length biography of Kim Beazley, charting his childhood in a prominent Labor family, his decades in federal politics as minister and opposition leader, and the personal convictions that drove his public life.

A humorous, insightful collection of what FitzSimons calls "sportraits" – vivid profiles of Australian sporting greats from Phar Lap and Bradman to modern champions – exploring what drives athletes and why their stories still resonate.

Collects FitzSimons’ sharpest rugby columns and profiles, offering behind-the-scenes insight into classic Wallabies Tests, coaching clashes and big personalities, written with the humour and passion of a former international forward.

An authorised biography of Wallabies captain John Eales, following his journey from Brisbane schoolboy to World Cup-winning leader, and exploring the resilience, setbacks and values that shaped his career on and off the field.

Tells the true story of Nancy Wake, the Australian who became a fearless resistance leader in occupied France, from bohemian journalist to Gestapo-hunted saboteur helping organise escape lines and guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines.

Reveals the rise, heartbreaks and comebacks of magazine queen Nene King, from newsroom apprentice to powerhouse editor at the centre of Australia’s celebrity-gossip wars, and the personal tragedies that forced her to rebuild her life.

A collection of sharp, self-deprecating yarns from FitzSimons’ years as a Wallaby, traveller and journalist, riffing on hitchhiking misadventures, sporting scrapes and family life with his trademark observational humour.

Recreates the brutal World War II campaign along Papua New Guinea’s Kokoda Track, as outnumbered, ill-equipped Australian soldiers battle jungle, disease and a relentless Japanese advance in a desperate defence of their homeland.

A revealing portrait of cricket captain Steve Waugh, tracing his evolution from scrappy all-rounder to one of Australia’s most successful leaders, and exploring the fierce competitiveness and quiet philanthropy behind his public image.

Brings together extended profiles of Australia’s greatest sportsmen and women, blending career highlights, personal anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories from champions across athletics, cricket, football, swimming and many other sports.

An immersive history of the 1941 siege of Tobruk, following Australian "Rats of Tobruk" and their allies as they hold a vital Libyan port against Rommel’s Afrika Korps through months of bombardment, dust and desert heat.

A light-hearted grab bag of popular theories, curiosities and everyday mysteries – from bedroom habits to superstitions – as FitzSimons pokes fun at the way we search for patterns and meaning in ordinary life.

An academic study of Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy and its implications for ethics and education, arguing for a dynamic view of the self and challenging familiar liberal ideas about freedom, equality and universal reason.

A door-stopper joke book collecting FitzSimons’ favourite wisecracks, limericks, shaggy-dog stories and one-liners, assembled to provide quick, good-natured laughs for readers who enjoy old-school pub and locker-room humour.

An expansive biography of trailblazing aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, charting his war service, record-breaking flights across oceans and the birth of long-distance air travel, along with the fellow pilots who flew beside him.

A collection of comic riffs on urban myths and "little theories" – from the link between skirt lengths and the stock market to why hat-wearing drivers go slower – offering wry, conversational takes on everyday oddities.

Retells the horrific 1629 wreck of the Dutch ship Batavia off Western Australia and the mutiny, mass murder and desperate fight for survival that followed, pitting ruthless leader Jeronimus Cornelisz against soldier Wiebbe Hayes.

Follows Antarctic explorer Douglas Mawson and fellow "ice men" Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen through the heroic age of polar exploration, from gruelling sledging journeys to Mawson’s extraordinary solo survival trek back to base.

Recreates the 1854 Eureka Stockade uprising on the Victorian goldfields, following miners, officials and soldiers as tensions over licences explode into a brief, bloody battle that helps shape Australia’s democratic tradition.

An anthology of standout pieces from Australian sports journalists, curated by FitzSimons and Greg Growden, exploring why sport matters so deeply through stories of glory, heartbreak, controversy and courage across many codes.

Traces the life of bushranger Ned Kelly from his rough childhood in colonial Victoria to the Kelly Gang’s raids, the Jerilderie Letter and the final showdown at Glenrowan, weighing legend against evidence to ask who he really was.

Offers a sweeping account of the 1915 Gallipoli campaign, weaving Allied, Turkish and personal diaries into a narrative of bold plans, tragic landings, brutal trench fighting and the costly evacuation that reshaped national identity.

Details Australia’s first major battles on the Western Front in 1916, plunging readers into the slaughter at Fromelles and the grinding ordeal at Pozières, and highlighting the courage of ordinary soldiers amid flawed planning.

Collects heart-warming and quirky stories from grassroots sport and everyday Australian life – Brownlow nights, backyard cricket, small-town characters – celebrating generosity, decency and the oddball moments that make people proud.

Tells the bittersweet story of boxing prodigy Les Darcy, who rose from Maitland blacksmith to world middleweight contender before World War I, then faced pressure to enlist, exile to America and an early death that turned him into a legend.

An edition of FitzSimons’ bestselling history of the Kokoda Track campaign, bringing vivid storytelling about young Australian soldiers fighting exhaustion, disease and a relentless Japanese enemy in New Guinea’s jungles.

Part memoir, part manifesto, describing how FitzSimons overhauled his own diet, ditched sugar and lost a large amount of weight, while offering blunt, practical advice aimed at helping other middle-aged blokes get healthier.

Recounts the desperate 1918 battle for Villers-Bretonneux in France, as Australian units are thrown in to halt Germany’s spring offensive and launch a daring counterattack that helps protect Amiens and turn the tide on the Western Front.

Brings to life the ambitious but ill-fated 1860–61 expedition of Burke and Wills, following the explorers and their party from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria and back toward tragedy, and examining what their journey reveals about colonial Australia.

Focuses on General John Monash and the meticulously planned 1918 Battle of Hamel on the Western Front, showing how his innovative use of infantry, tanks, artillery and aircraft produced a short, decisive victory.

A collection of comic yarns and tall tales from Australian sport and daily life, mixing dressing-room stories, commentary-box mishaps and offbeat incidents that show how humour softens even the fiercest rivalries.

Tells the unbelievable true story of the 1876 Catalpa rescue, when Irish Fenian prisoners were sprung from Fremantle Prison and smuggled onto an American whaling ship in a daring, politically explosive breakout.

Explores the life and death of Harry "Breaker" Morant during the Boer War, recounting his exploits as horseman and soldier, the controversial killings he was accused of, and the courtroom drama that still stirs debate.

A feel-good collection of sporting anecdotes that celebrate fair play, kindness and integrity, highlighting unsung moments when athletes, coaches and fans put decency and courage ahead of simply winning.

A narrative biography of Captain James Cook, tracing his rise from Yorkshire apprentice to master navigator and mapping voyages across the Pacific, and examining both his scientific achievements and their impact on Indigenous peoples.

Retells the infamous 1789 mutiny on HMS Bounty, following Captain William Bligh, Fletcher Christian and the crew through their voyage to Tahiti, the violent rupture aboard ship and the astonishing open-boat journey that followed.

A nostalgic celebration of favourite Australian sayings, stories and cultural moments – named for a much-loved movie line – collecting short pieces that revel in the quirks of Aussie humour and everyday life.

Chronicles the remarkable adventures of Sir Hubert Wilkins, the Australian farm boy who became a wartime photographer, record-setting pilot, polar explorer and pioneering aviator pushing into some of the harshest places on earth.

A narrative history of the Sydney Opera House, from the first design competition and Jørn Utzon’s visionary plans to the political battles, engineering challenges and eventual creation of Australia’s most famous building.

Reconstructs the 1966 Battle of Long Tan in South Vietnam, following D Company of 6RAR as they are ambushed in a rubber plantation and fight through rain, mud and overwhelming numbers until artillery and reinforcements arrive.

Tells the story of Albert Jacka, the shy Victorian farm worker who became the first Australian to win the Victoria Cross at Gallipoli and later led men on the Western Front, examining the burden of heroism he carried home.