John Atkins and Paul Evans Pens A CHILD IN THE NAVY A MAN BETRAYED

On May 6, 2014, news.com.au reported the case of John Atkins, who was raped and tortured after he joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1951 when he was 13-years-old, an ordeal he stated that later adversely affected his life and his marriages. More than one year after the news broke, he publishes his memoir that tells the true story of "A Child in the Navy a Man Betrayed" (published by Xlibris AU).

Atkins' account was written with the cooperation of Paul Evans. The memoir reveals his life story, including a military career filled with risky events and perseverance. Service in the Royal Australian Navy has taken him around the world, to about 19 war zones or operational areas, but with the benefit of hindsight, Atkins says that no one would have wanted to live his life. He reveals how his life as a child was destroyed by the navy, how his career as a young adult was destroyed by the resulting psychological injuries and how his twilight years were destroyed by the conflict with the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) and government investigation and review agencies.

"A Child in the Navy a Man Betrayed" provides a sobering look at the traumatic experiences of abuse survivors. The issue remains relevant, as recently as July 22, 2015 ABC News ran a story about how further incidences of abuse were revealed even as veterans await the fulfillment of a royal commission into the scandal. With his book, Atkins shows readers the veterans' side of the story and also tells other survivors that they are not alone, that there are people who know their pain and who are working hard to bring about justice by exposing the truth.

"A Child in the Navy a Man Betrayed"
By John Atkins and Paul Evans
Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 252 pages | ISBN 9781503505209
Softcover | 6 x 9in | 252 pages | ISBN 9781503505216
E-Book | 252 pages | ISBN 9781503505223
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author
John Atkins' interests are in the church, his friends and families, and in the peculiar study of opals. He and his second wife, Desna, help others and have continuing small business interests in the opal trade. Together they are looking forward to just enjoying the remainder of their lives in caravanning and travel.

Paul Evan entered university only to drop out in the first year and join a stock broking firm as a telephone clerk. He advanced quickly and became an operator on the Australian Stock Exchange. Eventually, he ended up in England working for the Ministry of Defence and later obtained employment with Australia's Department of Veterans' Affairs. He won the Secretary's Medal for his performance at DVA. However, he describes DVA as the biggest mistake of his life and was appalled at much of what he witnessed. His primary interests are history and his family.

Xlibris Publishing Australia, an Author Solutions, LLC imprint, is a self-publishing services provider dedicated to serving Australian authors. By focusing on the needs of creative writers and artists and adopting the latest print-on-demand publishing technology and strategies, we provide expert publishing services with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound and full-color formats. To date, Xlibris has helped to publish more than 60,000 titles.For more information, visit xlibrispublishing.com.au or call 1800 455 039 to receive a free publishing guide. Follow us @XlibrisAus on Twitter for the latest news.

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