From Tobruk to Turkey - With the Army of the Nile

The foreword of this book outlines Clune's appointment to the ACF (Australian Comfort Fund) which was re-established in 1940 to help with World War II. They were an umbrella organisation who managed various charities and volunteer organisations who raised money and goods to assist Australian soldiers. Clune proposed travel from Libya, through Egypt, Mandated Palestine, Syria and Turkey, side by side with the Australian military stationed there and tell their stories in a book, the proceeds of which all go to the ACF. His journey took 146 days, and he travelled 28000 miles, and took place from January to May of 1942.

The first three chapters briefly chart the journey from Australia to Libya by short legs in planes and flying boats taking in Indonesia, the Andaman Islands, Burma (Myanmar), India, Pakistan & Iran to arrive in Palestine. The next two chapters cover a stay in Palestine, then in Egypt, with Clune finally arriving in Libya just before page 100!

The narrative in the first 100 pages feels rushed as Clune tried to name drop every person he comes into contact with, describe their recent life history and any other context that comes to mind as well as document his travel, his meals and everything he saw. Too frantic.

Once arrived in Libya, and the theoretical start point of his journey - Tobruk, it doesn't really slow down any - if anything we get more detail about his day to day activity and his interactions with those he meets. There is a historical overlay, and a strong military explanation - a lot of which went over my head. As he progresses from Libya to Egypt over old ground in parts (Cairo in particular) he again spends time in Mandated Palestine, this time giving a biblical background (in far more detail than I am interested in) before finally moving on into Turkey. If it is sounding a bit of a laboured read, you are picking up on how it felt!

Clune runs the gambit on topics flitting from what he has for breakfast or WWI events to a current day interview with someone he crosses paths with. This is probably more pronounced in this book than others I have read, but is not uncommon to this author. The saving grace of this is that he doesn't stay on a minor topic for long, and has soon skipped on to something different.

There are some more personal events covered in this book with Clune having been involved in the Gallipoli landing in 1915, being wounded and evacuated, so he ties the events of his past into the locations he visits, including putting pressure on the Turkish government to allow him to visit Gallipoli - which was out of bounds for all at that time. Interestingly Clune is quite pro-Turkey and its reforms under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, which is interesting as he commonly holds a grudge and niggles annoyingly at a topic in other books. His complementary nature doesn't extent however to the bread rationing, which he rattles on about every time a meal where he is not supplied with any occurs! To be fair there is a coupon type arrangement in force and for whatever reason he is not provided with any, and relies on the good nature of those around him to share - an unfair expectation when others are making do with their own rationing.

His journey back to Australia takes in the Red Sea by ship and a stop in Mombasa in Kenya.

I don't think this book is helped with visiting some places three times in route - there is too much duplication and while it would have been disingenuous to write it as a combination of his visits in a single narrative journey, it might have read better.

Still, this is far from one of Clune's worst publications, and there was enough in it to keep me interested, most of the time.

4 stars