Peter Damian Williams.
Military historian · Author · Canberra
Peter Damian Williams is an Australian military historian and author, born in 1957 in Hobart. He holds a BA, Diploma of Education, MA and PhD, and has taught history in the Northern Territory and Japan.
Williams specialises in military history, with a focus on Australia’s involvement in global conflicts. His publications include analyses of the Gallipoli campaign, the Japanese 18th Army in New Guinea, and the Kokoda Track during WWII.
Notable works include Japan’s Pacific War: Personal Accounts of the Emperor’s Warriors (Pen & Sword, 2021), The Kokoda Campaign 1942: Myth and Reality (Cambridge University Press, 2012), and articles in the Sydney Morning Herald and Wartime Magazine. He has produced commissioned reports for the Australian Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Williams lives in Canberra and continues to contribute to military historiography through research and writing — see the complete bibliography or the speaking page.
Publications & key dates.
- 1957
Born in Hobart, Tasmania.
- 2005
"The Ottoman Artillery Bombardment at Gallipoli" — Wartime Magazine.
- 2006
"The Japanese 18th Army in New Guinea" — Wartime Magazine.
- 2007
"An Imperial Japanese Navy Pilot in New Guinea" (Headmark Journal) and "Zero Hours" (Australian Warship).
- 2008
"The Battle of Anzac Ridge, 25 April 1915" — Australian Military History Publications.
- 2009
Çanakkale Savaşı Kanlısırt Muharebesi — Turkish-language monograph, Kitap Yayınevi, Istanbul.
- 2010–2011
Commissioned reports on Kokoda, the Korean War, and WWII topics — Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs.
- 2012
The Kokoda Campaign 1942: Myth and Reality (Cambridge University Press) and Kokoda for Dummies (Wiley).
- 2015
"Australians in the United Kingdom in WWII" — Department of Veterans' Affairs.
- 2017
"Against Overwhelming Odds? On the Kokoda Trail" — chapter in Kokoda: Beyond the Legend (Cambridge University Press).
- 2021
Japan's Pacific War: Personal Accounts of the Emperor's Warriors — Pen & Sword.
- 2024
Long-form interview on WW2TV, "Interviewing Japanese Veterans" — 150,000+ views.
Credentials
- Doctorate
- PhD
- Postgraduate
- MA
- Teaching qualification
- Diploma of Education
- Undergraduate
- BA
- Location
- Canberra, Australia
Publishers & outlets
- Cambridge University Press Book + chapter
- Pen & Sword Book
- Wiley & Sons Book
- Kitap Yayınevi (Istanbul) Turkish-language book
- Department of Veterans' Affairs (Australia) Commissioned reports
- Wartime Magazine Articles
- Sydney Morning Herald Contributor
Expert analysis on Australia’s military engagements.
Williams provides historical analysis for institutions and productions that need depth on the Pacific War, the Kokoda Campaign, and Australian military history. Past clients include the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.