View From Connors Hill

Following Well Done, Those Men, his much-loved and deeply moving account of life as a Vietnam veteran, comes a vivid memoir from Barry Heard that reaches right into the heart of his experiences as a boy, and a young man, in Australia during the 1950s and 1960s.

Colourful, poignant, and often very funny, The View from Connor's Hill reveals a young man who, among the devastation of loss and constant upheaval, celebrates the joy of living in the bush, finds solace in the close friendship of his mates, and delights in the love of his faithful dog Rover and his headstrong horse Swanee. Capturing the detail of a lost world of country and suburban life in Australia – a world of matinees, country dances, and manual dunnies – Barry Heard delivers his memories with an unwavering honesty and candour.

The View from Connor's Hill makes an essential contribution to understanding why, and how, Barry Heard was able to emerge from the horrors of the Vietnam War with a capacity for creativity and a genuine will for life.