Forgotten War (book)

Forgotten War is a follow-up from Reynolds' previous work, The Other Side of the Frontier which argued British colonisation of Australia had involved significant levels of violence and conflict, the history of which has been largely ignored. Forgotten War is designed as a "thorough and systematic account" of the frontier wars. The book argues there can be no true reconciliation between Indigenous Australians and non-indigenous Australians without acknowledging the history of violence and conflict.[1]

Historian Raymond Evans, writing for The Sydney Morning Herald described the book as a "closely argued account" which continues Reynolds' tradition of informing the "Australian public of things they need to know, but which many of them do not wish to hear." Evans concluded by praising Forgotten War as "an important and richly textured book - one that deserves wide reading and debate."[2]

In the Sydney Review of Books Anna Clark wrote that "Reynolds is at his heartfelt and persuasive best here, as he explains the shared horrors of the frontier. He does so patiently and methodically, asking: Was it violent? (Yes.) Was it political and territorial? (Yes.) Was it war? (Yes.)"[3]