From Seven Hills to the Seven Seas: A Memoir of a Boy Adrift

This memoir/autobiography celebrates 50 years of Junior Recruit service to our navy. Established in 1960 and decommissioned in 1984 the story follows the life of a 15 year old inducted into the service for twelve years in 1968 and sent to Vietnam on the Vung Tau Ferry (H.M.A.S. Sydney) the following year. His somewhat capricious journey begins from his hometown of Seven Hills, to the Seven Seas, with a hint of mysticism along the way.

The Commemorative year of 2010 recognised the contributions made by young teens, many still children, to their country. My story is partly dedicated to those who didn't survive physically and/or mentally serving at a time when bullying and bastardising was the model in the defence forces, along with an element of stoic indifference on behalf of the young recruits' custodians, although not always. Furthermore, the world was on its own path to perdition at this critical time in our history.

*Mark has won a literary award in 2009 for his short story under the title 'A New Life' at the beginning of this book. Also, he has 2 previous non-fiction books published in Australia by Zeus Publications in 2006 and 2009.