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A Rose for the Anzac Boys by Jackie FrenchJackie French believes that good, historical writing really needs to come from source documents: things written at the time that give the feeling of the world as it was then, not just the facts.Published 16 March, 2008 
A Rose for the Anzac Boys (Jackie French, Angus & Robertson, $15.99 pb, ISBN 9780732285401, April) **** Jackie French believes that good, historical writing really needs to come from source documents: things written at the time that give the feeling of the world as it was then, not just the facts. In her latest work of historical fiction, she has put this into practice, drawing on letters, diaries and oral history from World War I to record the lives of women who worked as volunteers on the home front and behind the front line. This is the story of 16-year old Margery (‘Midge’) Macpherson, who has been sent to finishing school in England following the death of her parents, leaving behind her beloved farm in New Zealand. She forms a close friendship with two other girls, one of whom comes from an aristocratic family, who give their support to the girls’ idea of setting up a canteen at Calais for the hundreds of soldiers now on the march. When news reaches Midge that her twin brother has been reported missing in action in Gallipoli, and letters from a dear aunt who is nursing wounded soldiers in Alexandria describe the horrors she is witnessing, she begins to realise that war is not the ‘glorious adventure’ she had thought. This is a well-researched story about the invaluable support women provided during the war. Recommended for secondary-school age children. Hilary Adams is a freelance writer and reviewer and works in a specialist children’s bookshop in Sydney This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker More from Military Book Reviews
Jackie French believes that good, historical writing really needs to come from source documents: things written at the time that give the feeling of the world as it was then, not just the facts.16 March, 2008 
Anzac Day is fast approaching. Anzac: An Illustrated History 1914-1918 by Richard Pelvin will be released in paperback this year to coincide with the day (Hardie Grant).13 March, 2008
Tales from the front
Personal accounts, biographies, histories and even guide books—Australia’s military history is the subject of a whole army of books hitting the shelves this month.5 October, 2006
The Wreck of the Batavia and Prosper by Simon Leys
The story of the wreck of the Batavia has been the inspiration for many works of fiction, nonfiction and film. Leys’ essay on the wreck begins with a curious introduction. He explains a long-held desire to write the tale of the Batavia; nervously reading all the other publications on the topic; and concluding none of them hit the mark.11 December, 2005
Beyond Belief by Roger Cross
The authors of this book, Roger Cross, a senior fellow at Melbourne University, and Avon Hudson, a campaigner for victims of British atomic tests in Australia, argue that because Australia was such an eagerly subservient ally, it was kept in the dark about the real extent of the 12 atomic tests carried out at Maralinga in the years 1952–1957, and the minor trials that continued until 1962.20 June, 2005
An Australian connection: Robert Ryan's new book, After Midnight
Robert Ryan is a pretty big deal sales-wise in the UK, where his books are regular features of the Top 10 lists. Here in Australia, his fans are not quite so legion, but that may all be set to change with the Australian connection in his latest novel, After Midnight, he told Eliza Metcalfe.13 May, 2005
Darkness in Paris by Peter Ferguson
In May 1940 Germany invaded France and within six weeks had triumphantly seized control of Paris. The Allies' complacency was replaced with a sense of helplessness as they were defeated by a new kind of dynamic warfare.11 May, 2005
Hellfire: Australia, Japan and the Prisoners of War by Cameron Forbes
Hellfire traces the experiences of the Australian, British and Allied prisoners of war under Japanese occupation during World War II. The book analyses the cultural differences, dating from the 19th century, which underpinned the attitudes of the politicians and the military on both sides of the conflict.11 April, 2005
Animal Heroes by Anthony Hill
Following on from the success of historical narratives like Soldier Boy and Young Digger that explore untold stories from Australia’s fighting past, Anthony Hill’s Animal Heroes collates and presents the important role animals have played in conflicts from the World War I to the present day. Hill’s text clearly conveys the love and admiration these animals were afforded by their handlers, comrades or adopted owners. Whether they were an intuitive kitten smuggled aboard HMAS Perth, a Doberman who defected for a tin of bully beef, or one of the 11 tracking dogs who served so valiantly in Vietnam, each animal’s story is lovingly retold through surviving memory of family members, or official documents.20 March, 2005
Well Done, Those Men by Barry Heard
Barry Heard’s quiet life on a remote Victorian farm was interrupted by ‘a very official letter in a brown envelope’ that turned up one day in 1964. He had been called up for National Service, or ‘Nasho’. A lucky brush with German measles kept him out of the army the first time around, but by February 1966 21-year-old Heard was off to the Puckapunyal army base. For a naïve country boy the army training was an adventure full of blokey bonhomie, but one that suddenly became very serious once he was stationed with a regular regiment, the 7RAR, that was about to be deployed in Vietnam.20 March, 2005 |
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