John Laffin

John Laffin (21 September 1922 - 2000) was an Australian military historian and journalist.

Early life
Laffin was born in Mosman, Sydney. Both of his parents served during World War I: his father served as infantry officer and his mother served as a nurse.

World War II
In 1941, having worked with Smith's Weekly, one of Australia's most patriotic newspaper-style magazines, and the Wagga Wagga Advertiser. He enlisted in the 2nd Australian Imperial Force. He trained as an infantryman and later completed an officer course before serving in New Guinea, the world's second largest island.

While convalescing in Sydney in 1943, he met his future wife Hazelle, a Red Cross nurse.

Writing career
After the war, Laffin worked for a number of newspapers and magazines, wrote short novels, and began his own feature service and editing unit.

With his family, he left for England in 1956 where he resided for nearly 40 years. He wrote articles for Australian newspapers and taught English, history and geography in secondary colleges. One of these was Mayfield College in East Sussex where he taught English and History in the 1960s, while living in nearby Herstmonceux.

Laffin travelled extensively in Europe, especially the Western Front areas of World War I and in the Middle East.

He returned to Australia in 1995. Hazelle Laffin died in early 1997 of heart disease.

His works

 * Tommy Atkins: The Story of the English Soldier. Trafalgar Square, 2011 ISBN 0-7524-6066-8
 * British, Butchers, and Bunglers of World War One. Godalming: Bramley, 1998. ISBN 1841000124 Republished by Sutton Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-7509-0179-9
 * Jackboot : a history of the German soldier 1713-1945. First published 1965 in hardback by Cassell & Company Ltd. Republished by David & Charles Publishers in 1989. ISBN 0715394584 Republished by Barnes & Noble Books in 2000. ISBN 1-56619-750-3
 * Hitler Warned Us. Brasseys, London, 1995. ISBN 1-85753-103-5
 * We Will Remember Them, Kangaroo Press, Sydney, 1995. ISBN 0-86417-735-6
 * A Western Front Companion, 1914-1918: A-Z Source to the Battles, Weapons, People, Places, Air Combat. Far Thrupp: Alan Sutton, 1994. ISBN 075090061X
 * The War of Desperation: Lebanon 1982-85. London: Osprey, 1985. ISBN 0850456037
 * Holy War: Islam Fights, John Laffin, Grafton Books, London, 1988. ISBN 0-586-06868-6
 * On the Western Front: Soldiers Stories from France and Flanders, 1914-1918. Gloucester: A. Sutton, 1985. ISBN 0862992427
 * The Man the Nazis Couldn't Catch. Gloucester : A. Sutton, 1984. ISBN 0862990432
 * Fight for the Falklands! Sphere Books Limited, London, 1982. ISBN 0-312-28868-9
 * The Israeli Army in the Middle East wars, 1948-73. London: Osprey, 1982. ISBN 0850454506
 * Damn the Dardanelles!: The Story of Gallipoli. London: Osprey, 1980. ISBN 085045350X
 * The Dagger of Islam. Sphere Books Limited, 1979. ISBN 0-7221-5369-4
 * The Arab Mind: A Need for Understanding. Cassell, London, 1975. ISBN 0-304-29489-6
 * Fedayeen. The Arab-Israeli Dilemma. New York: Free Press, 1973.
 * Letters from the Front, 1914-1918. London: Dent, 1973. ISBN 0460078542
 * Surgeons in the Field. J.M. Dent and Sons. London, 1970. ISBN 0-460-03707-2
 * Jack Tar: the story of the British sailor. Cassell, 1969. ISBN 0304932744
 * Anzacs at War: The Story of Australian and New Zealand Battles. London: Abelard-Schuman, 1965.
 * Codes and Ciphers: Secret Writing through the Ages. London; New York: Abelard-Schuman, 1964.
 * Swifter Than Eagles: The Biography of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Maitland Salmond. Edinburgh: W. Blackwood, 1964.
 * The Face of War - the evolution of weapons and their use in ten famous battles With Ab elard-Schuman. London, 1963.
 * Jungle Manhunt. London: Horwitz Publications, 1958.
 * The Dancer of San Jose. London: Horwitz Publications, 1958.
 * The Devil's Emissary. London & Sydney: Horwitz Publications, 1958.
 * Middle East Journey. Sidney: Angus and Robertson, 1958.
 * Return to Glory. Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1956.

Death
John Laffin died in Canberra in 2000 after a long illness. He was survived by two daughters (Bronwen and Pirenne) and son (Craig).