Following the Japanese occupation of Western Australia, an officer must lead a ragtag group of soldiers to sabotage the enemy and reclaim the outback. Geoffrey Sawtell finds himself tasked with the impossible: turning a collection of inexperienced recruits and ill-equipped Englishmen into a functional guerrilla unit. As the Japanese forces consolidate their hold on the coastal cities, Sawtell must navigate the harsh, unforgiving terrain of the Australian interior to strike back. The narrative follows a linear progression, documenting the tactical challenges and the psychological strain of a desperate resistance effort in a landscape that is as much an enemy as the invaders themselves.

This novel presents a gritty, grounded look at a hypothetical invasion scenario that tests the limits of its protagonists. The narrative relies on the stark contrast between the disciplined military objectives and the chaotic reality of the Australian bush. Readers often note the author's ability to capture the specific atmosphere of the outback while maintaining the tension of a wartime thriller. The work functions as a character study of men forced into extreme circumstances, highlighting the friction between different military backgrounds and the necessity of adaptation in the face of overwhelming odds. The story remains a notable example of Australian speculative military fiction that prioritizes tactical realism over grand spectacle.