Lowy Lecture Series: The lessons of war - In conversation with Peter Edwards and James Brown

On Wednesday 2 April, historian and author Peter Edwards together with the Lowy Institute’s James Brown, will explore the conflicts in Vietnam and Afghanistan, comparing perspectives on how Australia has fought its modern wars. As we approach the centenary of the first world war, these two authors will assess what lessons Australia has learnt from war – and more importantly, what lessons Australia is yet to learn.

Peter Edwards is the Official Historian of Australia's involvement in Southeast Asian conflicts 1948-75 and author of the newly released book Australian and the Vietnam War (New South publishing). He has written extensively on politics, strategy, and diplomacy as well as authoring volumes on Robert Hope and Arthur Tange. He authored the 2005 Lowy Institute Paper Permanent Friends? Historical reflections on the Australian-American alliance.

James Brown is the Lowy Institute's Military Fellow and formerly an officer in the Australian Army with service in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Solomon Islands. He is the author of the recently released book Anzac's Long Shadow: the cost of our national obsession (Black Inc).