Welcome to Nihil Alienum

Books and blogs by David Gormley-O'Brien

Spanning Federation, two world wars, the Depression, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Cowra Breakout, the British Commonwealth occupation of Japan and the long road to peace, the Becoming Australia series captures the humour, hardship, and humanity of ordinary Australians living in extraordinary times.

For readers who cherish meticulously researched historical fiction, An Attractive Naivety and Ashes and Sakura together form a vivid, unflinching, and ultimately hopeful account of Australia’s coming of age in the twentieth century.

What readers are saying

Review star 4 An attractive naivety

It’s always intriguing when a novel brings historical events to life through compelling characters and rich storytelling. An Attractive Naivity is a revelation of little-known events in Australia's early modern period, brought to life through the lens of personal stories. The characters are an engaging multi-generational family group, beguiling us through these historical moments. Their trials, hopes and joys are deeply moving and bring an extra dimension to this period of significant change. Unsurprisingly, there were moments in this debut novel where the writer was still finding his voice. Overall, I found the experience of reading this book both absorbing, fascinating and enjoyable. I look forward to future books to explore.

Sara

Recent blog posts

The Bridge jumpers

David Gormley-…
The opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at the height of the Great Depression in March 1932 was a festive occasion for the young nation. Celebrations were short-lived when the bridge became a popular spot for suicide jumpers. It took nearly two years and almost 50 deaths for the reluctant Government to erect a safety barrier on the bridge's footways.

Vivian Bullwinkel

David Gormley-…
Vivian Bullwinkel was the sole survivor of the massacre of 21 nurses on Bangka Island in World War II. She spent the following three and a half years in Japanese internment camps in Sumatra. She appears in An Attractive Naivety, and in reading her diaries, notebooks, and her testimony at the Tokyo War Crimes Trials in December 1946, I was struck by her extraordinary courage and leadership.

Australia's first war crime trials

David Gormley-…
Between November 1945 and February 1946, on the island of Morotai, Australia convened some of the first war crimes trials in the Pacific. These tribunals prosecuted Japanese officers and soldiers accused of atrocities against Australian prisoners of war, confronting unique legal and logistical challenges.

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