The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead. -- Proverbs 21:16

The exploits of the coastwatchers of the Solomon Islands and New Guinea during the Second World War are perhaps not as widely known as they should be, but as Admiral Halsey said: "The coastwatchers saved Guadalcanal. And Guadalcanal saved the Pacific."

The names of some of these men are mentioned in this book, as are those of such famous personages as General Vandegrift and Admiral Halsey. But although the background is as genuine as research can make it; all the main characters in this novel are fictional and bear no resemblance to anyone living or dead. I have created an entirely new district of the Solomon Islands. Renbanga and its neighbouring islands will be found on no map, just as the men and women who occupy them never existed. -- Author's Note