Australia’s Great War: 1918, by Libby Gleeson

The barrage was on.
Crashing artillery.
Smashing shells.
Buildings, bricks, rocks and debris, in the air.
Deafening. Deafening.

It is 1918, and the War is still going. While the Russians have withdrawn, it seems Germany remains strong, holding out against the allies across the Western Front. Ned and his tired soldier mates are sent into battle at the small village of Villers-Bretonneux. A win here, they are told, could help to turn the war around. But promises about the end of the war have been heard so many times, it is hard to know what to believe. All Ned wants is for the fighting to be over, and to be back home with his family. First he just needs to survive.

1918 is the gripping last installment in the Australia’s Great War series from Scholastic. Each book has seen a different author (disclosure: this reviewer wrote one of the earlier titles, 1915) tell a story set amidst key events of that year of World War One. 1918 brings the final year of the war to life through the eyes of Ned, who struggles with the horror of the war and with his concept of bravery. The role of nurses, and the behind the front treatment of wounded and sick soldiers is also explored, as well as the aftermath of the conscription referendum of 1917, providing lots of insight into the events and impact of the war on those who were there as well as on Australia as a whole.

1918 can be read a stand alone, but young history buffs might be inspred to read the rest of the series.

Australia’s Great War: 1918, by Libby Gleeson
Scholastic, 2018
ISBN 9781743622513

The Last Fifty Miles, by Adam Wakeling

They were fifty miles to victory and defeat, fifty miles to collapse and renewal, and fifty miles to a new place for Australia among the nations of the world. They were among the most significant fifty miles in our history.

After four years of conflict in Turkey, Palestine and Europe, both sides of the Great War conflict are weary and seeking to end the conflict. For the men of the five Australian divisions stationed in France, the end seems a long way away, though, and while they are battle weary they are able to come together under Major-General John Monash and play a decisive role in claiming the last fifty miles – the miles which will see an end to the war.

The Last Fifty Miles is an accessible, detailed account of Australia’s involvement in World War 1 and particularly its role in the final months of the conflict on the Western Front.

Readers are offered insight into the reasons for the war, the main personalities involved on both sides, and the impact of the war on Australians at home as well as those serving.

Suitable for amateur history buffs or anyone wanting to better understand the Great War.

The Last Fifty Miles, by Adam Wakeling
Penguin Books, 2016
ISBN 9780670079148

The Poppy by Andrew Plant

Across northern France,

poppies bloom in the fields

where once, many years ago …

millions of men fought and died.

NOTE: THIS BOOK HAS A RELEASE DATE OF 1 MARCH 2014

Across northern France,

poppies bloom in the fields

where once, many years ago …

millions of men fought and died.

In northern France, poppies bloom where once was war. Petals take to the air and track the story of war in northern France, travelling from today back through time to focus on a particular battle. Villers-Bretonneux, a small village, was the site of a pivotal battle between German forces and Australian soldiers. Many, many died, but the battle was successful in halting the progression of the Germans. Many of the dead are still unidentified, but none are forgotten. Memorials to named and unnamed soldiers remind just how hard-fought and hard-won was the freedom now enjoyed. In the years following WWI, Victorian children helped to raise money to rebuild the Villers-Bretonneux school. This link, forged in war, is reinforced by Australian animal carvings in the school hall, and promises to not forget. Illustrations show both the darkness and the light, with dark cover and images set in black pages. The painterly images sit like photos on the page, connecting the past with the present. A poppy petal floats through each opening. A final page provides more information about the battle and its aftermath.

For many years, most Australians had some direct link to WWI in Europe, whether it was a parent, a relative, a neighbour. But as time passes, these links become more distant and there is a risk that the connection with and relevance of that time fades. 2014 marks the centenary of the beginning of WWI. For Australia, WWI was the first opportunity to demonstrate internationally their new nationhood. Thousands of Australians died in many different theatres of war. The Villers-Bretonneux was one of these, and for many years, many of the fallen were unidentified, if not forgotten. The Villers-Bretonneux village and school continue to honour the Australians who died there, just as the poppies symbolise their spilt blood. Plant brings this historical non-fiction story to a new generation of young readers, allowing the war to sit just off-page, but not diminishing or underplaying any of the importance of the battle. He shows new readers how the past influences the present and can inform the future. In multicultural Australia, this story will be unfamiliar to some, but ‘The Poppy’ will help to remedy this. Recommended for early and middle primary readers.

 

The Poppy

The Poppy, Andrew Plant Ford Street Publishing, 2014 ISBN: hb 9781925000313, pb 9781925000320

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com