Vale Jim Molan

Australian politician, major general in the Australian army and author Jim Molan has died, aged 72.

HarperCollins Australia & New Zealand CEO Jim Demetriou writes:

‘We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of author, senator and retired army major general Jim Molan. In April 2004, Jim deployed for a year to Iraq as the Coalition’s chief of operations, where he controlled the manoeuvre operations of all forces across all of Iraq, including the security of Iraq’s oil, electricity and rail infrastructure. After leaving the military, Jim became a commentator on defence and security issues, writing regularly for a number of journals and blogs. In August 2008 he published his bestselling Running the War in Iraq about his time in that conflict.

‘Jim was active in speaking out on defence issues, particularly those relating to the relationship between Australia and China. In August 2022, HarperCollins published Danger on our Doorstep—Jim’s sober assessment of the present and growing danger of China’s rise, not just to Taiwan, Japan and other countries in the immediate region, but also to the geopolitical balance of power as it has existed since the end of World War II. The Sydney Morning Herald said: “The Prime Minister should read Molan’s book. It is chilling but a necessary statement of the truth that the region is heading to conflict and Australia is not well prepared to defend itself”.

‘Jim was passionate about the important messages in his book and he remained committed to the project of writing, editing and revising while both fighting the 2022 Federal election and facing serious health challenges. He was a pleasure to work with. We wish to send our condolences to Jim’s wife and family at this difficult time.’

Category: Obituaries