Battle of Sunda Strait
Whiting was born in Australia, and lost his father during the Second World War when he was 6 years old. His first book, "Ship of Courage", researched the Australian cruiser , on which his father died. The ship was sunk by the Japanese in 1942 during the Battle of Sunda Strait. In that book, Whiting researched and focused on the lives of the crew, rather than providing military details of the battle itself.