Bestselling author and captivating presenter Grantlee Kieza is back with an extraordinary true story of courage under fire and survival during one of the deadliest wartime attacks on Australia. This is an exclusive preview of the soon-to-be-released book, "Ellen Savage and the heroes of AHS Centaur".
Free event. Bookings required.
About the book:
"Ellen Savage and the heroes of AHS Centaur" details the sinking of the hospital ship, the Centaur - and the bravery of its heroes. Few disasters have touched Australia as profoundly as the sinking of the Centaur - one of the deadliest wartime attacks on the nation, killing 268 souls on a mission of mercy.
Yet the extraordinary heroism it inspired galvanised Australia in the face of the Japanese war offensive that had already seen submarine attacks on Sydney and Newcastle, and aerial bombing raids on Darwin, Townsville and Broome.
Just before dawn on 14 May 1943, a Japanese submarine commander fired a torpedo into the Centaur's heart. Many of those on board were killed instantly, and the ship took just three minutes to sink to a watery grave 2000 metres below.
Ellen Savage, a fearless nurse from country New South Wales, emerged from a whirlpool of fire and burning wreckage, the only woman to survive. For more than 34 hours, she and other heroes fought off hungry sharks, and did all they could to save other badly injured survivors until rescuers arrived. Sixty-six years later, some of those she saved would witness the discovery of the Centaur's wreckage on the ocean floor, bringing its story of hope and heroism, one of the most inspiring in Australia's history.
About the author:
Grantlee Kieza OAM is an award-winning journalist and the highly acclaimed, bestselling author of more than twenty biographies. Kieza held senior editorial positions at The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and The Courier-Mail for many years and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his writing. He is a Walkley Award finalist, a 2025 ABIA shortlisted author for Biography of the Year, a 2025 Indie Award shortlisted author for Non-fiction, the No. 1 history author in Australia in 2024.
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