In 1937 Burchett boarded a ship to England and in 1938 he travelled to Nazi Germany and experienced first hand the horrors of fascism while helping Jews escape its terror. On returning to Australia he bombarded the newspapers with letters warning against the danger posed by German and Japanese militarism, but they were ignored. The mood at the time was one of appeasement and conciliation, but when Hitler attacked Poland and Chamberlain declared war on Germany, Burchett was suddenly in demand as ‘one of the last Australians to leave Germany before the war’.

Then on New Year's Eve 1940 he set out to investigate Japanese activities in New Caledonia, recognising the French colony's strategic importance in the event of war with Japan. Pacific Treasure Island is the result of this trip. It was also Burchett's first book and he was obviously enjoying himself and his newly discovered writing talents, making the most of the exotic locations and colourful locals. The following chapter demonstrates this, but it also displays Burchett's acute sensitivity to geopolitical circumstances.

By the time this book was published, Burchett was on his way to Burma and China, and the start of his career as a war correspondent.