The ANI is pleased to announce the 2024 winner of the Commodore Sam Bateman Book Prize is Tom Lewis for his book ‘The Sinking of HMAS Sydney’. The prize is awarded annually to recognise excellence in books making a major contribution to the study and understanding of naval and maritime matters.
Tom’s book covers not only the loss of HMAS Sydney off the WA coast in November 1941, but does an excellent job of painting the picture of what life was like in the RAN during the inter-war years and during World War 2.
There were 11 entries in 2024 and the quality of research and writing was excellent. Only one point separated the top three books, with special mentions to Dr Bec Strating and Dr Joanne Wallis for ‘Girt by Sea’ and Mike Carlton for ‘Dive’.
Tom Lewis
The ANI is pleased to see the increase in naval and maritime books being published, especially covering Australian issues. Entries are now open for the 2025 Commodore Sam Bateman Book Prize – details here
Desmond Woods’s review of the book is here.
