This is a sombre, sad, and at times angry book. It is also a wise book. The sister of one of those Australian prisoners of war in World War II who died at Ambon wrote: ‘Everyone who was touched by Ambon has a crying heart which will never leave them.’ Of an initial force, since known as Gull Force, of 1,131 men, 779 were killed in action or died as prisoners. There were many crying hearts in Australia.