war – Page 4 – Aussie Reviews

Charles Bean's Gallipoli Illustrated, edited by Phillip Bradley

25 April 1915
12 Midnight: The ships have sailed from Lemnos. I have a cabin, the last in the passage, with a porthole opening onto the well deck. Outside on the deck, amongst all sorts of gear and under some of the horse boats to be used in landing, are some of the men of the 1st Battalion tucked into corners in their overcoats.
I must not oversleep – this night is too good to miss.

From the journey towards Gallipoli, through the landings, the terrible losses, the battles, and the evacuation, Charles Bean recorded the ANZAC experience at Gallipoli in extraordinary detail. Australia’s official war correspondent, he wrote and sent home newspaper articles, and also filled notebooks with copious diary entries. He went behind the lines across the peninsula, lived among the troops, and photographed what he saw. After the war he used his work as the starting point for Australia’s official war history.

From this extraordinarily detailed record of the war, this new offering diaries the eight months of the Gallipoli campaign. With notes from the editor, the text is stunningly illustrated with photographs from Bean’s collection and from the collections of others who were there, including the private collections of soldiers, bringing the campaign to life in startling detail.

A wonderful production to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the campaign in 2015.

Charles Bean's Gallipoli

Charles Bean’s Gallipoli, edited by Phillip Bradley
Allen & Unwin, 2014
ISBN 9781742371238

Available from good bookstores and online.

After Darkness, by Christine Piper

She came so close I could see a mole above her lip. She spat/ A glob landed on the window in front of my face.
‘Bloody Japs!’ she said, shaking her fist.
The train groaned as it moved away. The woman became smaller till she was no more than a pale slip, but I could still see her face. Eyes narrowed, mouth tight – her features twisted with hate.

It is 1942 and Japan has entered the second war against the allies. Tomokazu Ibaraki, who has been working as a doctor in Broome, finds himself a prisoner of war, interned with other Japanese men in remote South Australia. Here he works in the infirmary and lives in close quarters with men of Japanese heritage with a range of backgrounds\, including a group of men who were born in Australia and see themselves as Australian. He finds friends but he is also confronted with the difficulties of a life in confinement, and with the dilemma of which men are actually his friends, and which have darker sides to their natures.

While he deals with his present, Dr Inaraki must also confront his past, a past peppered with personal tragedy and dilemmas created by promises he made. Coming to Australia was supposed to offer a chance for redemption – to leave that life behind and build something new, but events in the internment camp force him to revisit things he would rather forget.

After Darkness, the winner of this year’s Vogel Award, is a haunting debit novel about friendship, loyalty, and the promises. Ibaraki is a man of honour who is believably flawed in his inability to find a way through difficult situations he finds himself in, yet is ultimately a likeable character with whom it is easy to sympathise.

Set amidst the backdrop of World War II, and the years prior, the story offers an insight into historical events with which many readers would be unfamiliar. A haunting read.

After Darkness

After Darkness, by Christine Piper
Allen & Unwin, 2014
ISBN 9781743319888

Available from good bookstores and online.

Tank Boys by Stephen Dando-Collins

‘Where the heck are we?’ Frankie’s voice was muffled by the walls of earth on either side of them.

‘Flanders,’ answered Private Nash, the young soldier trudging along the narrow communication trench in front of Frankie, as the Australian troops moved in single fileup to the front line in darkness.

‘I know we’re in Flanders! Where in Flanders?’

‘Near Messines.’

‘Yeah, but where near Messines?’

‘How should I know? Do I look like an officer or something? Only officers know where they are in this war. Anyway, what’s it matter, Pickles?’

Frankie shrugged. ‘I was just curious, that’s all. I’d like to know where I’m about to die.’

‘Where the heck are we?’ Frankie’s voice was muffled by the walls of earth on either side of them.

‘I know we’re in Flanders! Where in Flanders?’

‘Near Messines.’

‘Yeah, but where near Messines?’

‘How should I know? Do I look like an officer or something? Only officers know where they are in this war. Anyway, what’s it matter, Pickles?’

Frankie shrugged. ‘I was just curious, that’s all. I’d like to know where I’m about to die.’

Frankie and Taz are both sixteen-years-old Australians who lie about their age to be accepted into the Australian Army. Their reasons for enlisting are different but the two are united by their youth. Richard is also sixteen-years-old and in the army, but he’s on the opposite side. War is nothing like the adventure the Australian boys imagined when they signed up and nothing has prepared Richard either. The three boys are destined to meet on the battlefields in France, around Villers-Bretoneux, amid the horror and destruction of war. Tank Boys is the story of one of the most well-known battles of WWII from the perspective of three youth and explores the personalities and the politics of both sides of the battle. Although fiction, Tank Boys is based on real tanks, and real battles.

Tank Boys explores the realities of war. It is not gratuitously graphic but neither does it shy away from the deaths and injuries suffered by soldiers of both sides. It offers a range of different personalities and explores the myriad reasons men fight wars. On one level ‘Tank Boys’ is a ‘Boys Own’-type adventure full of action and adventure, but it also provides many opportunities for discussion about war. There are enough details for readers to be able to ‘walk the trenches’ with the characters, and to learn about the different hardware each side used. As the centenary of the beginning of WWI draws closer, it’s not surprising that there are stories about war being published for young people. From our vantage point, stories that have long been locked up are finding their way into the public consciousness and providing perspectives that were not always evident in earlier times (for many reasons). These stories help us to understand our past and shape our future. Recommended for upper-primary readers.

Tank Boys, Stephen Dando-Collins Random House Australia 2014 ISBN:9780857981301

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Midnight: The Story of a Light Horse, by Mark Greenwood & Frane Lessac

…in the winter of 1914,
the drums of a distant war are beating.
Guy and Midnight heed the nation’s call.
The wind blows in Midnight’s mane.
And they ride to join the Light Horse.

Guy Haydon has loved his horse, Midnight, since she was born on the family farm. Now he and Midnight are joining up – heading off to fight together in a war on the other side of the world. Together they travel to Cairo and, in spite of being separated when Guy is sent alone to Gallipoli, they later ride together on one of the last great cavalry charges in history, the ride on Beersheba in August 1917.

Midnight: The Story of a Light Horse is a stunning new picture book from one of Australia’s leading creative pairings in the form. The text is a wonderful blend of poetic, emotive prose and historical basis, and the illustrations capture the colours of the desert and bush settings and the starkness of he war scenes with a deceptive simplicity.

Back of book notes give context to the true story on which the book is based, including details of the charge on Beersheba.

With ANZAC Day approaching, Midnight: The Story of a Light Horse is ideal for school use as well as private reading.

Midnight: The Story of a Light Horse, by Mark Greenwood and Frane Lessac
Walker Books, 2014
ISBN 9781921977718

Available from good bookstores and online.

From the Trenches: The Best Anzac Writing of World War One, edited by Mark Dapin

Under a grey October sky
The little squads that drill
Click arms and legs mechanically,
Emptied of ragged will!

Of ragged will that frets the sky
From crags just ragged Pines,
a wayward immortality,
That flies from Death’s trim lines. (Walter J Turner)

Many books have been written about the experiences of Australians and New Zealanders at war, but From the Trenches offers a book now just about those who served, but also written by them, in the form of a collection of writings from World War One. Including poetry, letters, diary entries and recounts, the books serves as a reminder of the very human face of the war, its toll on those who fought and served, and its impact on all Australians and New Zealanders.

Grouped chronologically and geographically from the time of joining up, to Gallipoli, the Middle East and Western Front and beyond, to epitaphs and the time beyond returning home, the writings range from the intensely personal, to the reportage of the facts and even to humour. Readers could choose to read the book cover to cover, but equally could dip into readings.

Suitable for history buffs, lovers of literature and more, From the Trenches offers a touching, accessible insight into the times.

Book Cover: From the Trenches: the best ANZAC writing of World War One

From the Trenches: The Best ANZAC Writing of World War One, edited by Mark Dapin
Penguin, 2013
ISBN 9780670077816

Available from good bookstores and online.

In Great Spirits: The WW1 Diary of Archie Barwick

28th October 1916.
Oh a soldier’s life is a beauty in such weather but as soon as we get back into dry billets we forget all the hardships. It’ powerful in what good spirits the boys keep. They laugh and joke over it all, as if it was the fun of the world.

Archibald Albert Barwick was 24 years old when war broke out in 1914 and he joined the AIF. Leaving his job as manager of a sheep property in NSW, he trained with the expeditionary force in the 1st Battalion and travelled first to Egypt, then Gallipoli and later the Western Front. Along the way he rose to the rank of Sergeant, was injured three times and was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre. Significantly, he also wrote prolifically, filling sixteen diaries over the course of the war, detailing his experiences and insights.

In Great Spirits: The WWI Diary of Archie Barwick offers Barwick’s diary to contemporary readers. Condensed from the initial 400 000 words to around 130 000 words in order to make it manageable, the writing is otherwise only lightly edited, so that the sense of Barwick’s personality shines through, managing to be humorous, honest and heart-wrenching by turns, so that the reader can journey with him in a very personal way.

Of interest to historians of all levels, this is also a valuable read for any Australian to get first hand insight into Australia’s involvement in World War 1 and its impact.

In Great Spirits: Archie Barwick's WWI Diary - from Gallipoli to the By Archie Barwick

In Great Spirits: The WWI Diary of Archie Barwick
Harper Collins, 2013
ISBN 9780732297183

Available from good bookstores or online.

Anzac Biscuits, by Phil Cummings and Owen Swan

The fire crackled and Rachel was warm.
‘Let’s make some biscuits for Dad,’ her mother said.
‘Yes, let’s!’ Rachel cried.

Rachel and her mother are at home on the family farm in Australia. Far away (presumably, though this isn’t stated, in Europe), her father, a soldier, battles the cold, the mud and the horrors of war. As Rachel and Mum bake Anzac biscuits, they are unknowingly linked to Dad. When the biscuits are baked, they will be sent to Dad, making that link real.

Anzac Biscuits is a beautiful story of love and connection, particularly in times of war. In alternate spreads we see Rachel and her mother making the biscuits, then Dad cold and afraid on the battlefield. The actions are subtly linked – when Mother dons a flower-patterned apron, and Rachel accidentally drops a pan, Dad lies low from the banging of rifle shots in a flower-strewn field; when Rachel licks her sticky treacle fingers, Dad’s feet are sticky with mud.

Text and illustration are both simple and touching. The war scenes are are depicted in greys whilst the home scenes are warm creamy sepias and blues. The images of war focus on the harshness of the conditions and the emotions of the lonely soldiers rather than on more startling battlefield images, making the story accessible to young children.

A lovely tale, and a beautiful way of introducing both the subject of war and the history of Anzac biscuits. And, if you’re like me, you may find yourself inspired to whip up a batch of biscuits after reading.

Anzac Biscuits, by Phil Cummings & Owen Swan
Scholastic, 2013
ISBN 9781742833460

Available from good bookstores and online.

For Valour: Australia's Victoria Cross Heroes, by Nicolas Brasch

The Victoria Cross (VC) is only ever awarded in times of war to people who risk their own lives to save others – the most heroic act imaginable. This is why the Victoria Cross is held in such high esteem.

The Victoria Cross is not given out lightly. Only ninety-nine Australians, of the one and a half million who have fought in wars, have been awarded the honour, twenty-six of them posthumously. So, whilst most adults would know about the award, it is important that its significance, and the actions of its recipients, are explained to younger Australians.

For Valour, subtitled Australia’s Victoria Cross Heroes is a useful tool in doing both of those things. Beginning with an explanation of the award, its significance and history and even its deign, the book then moves though the major conflicts in which Australians have fought, and shares the stories of selected VC recipients. Other recipients are listed. There is also a brief explanation of each conflict outlining its origins, locations, and Australia’s involvement.

Text is accessible, and explanations are child-friendly but not sanitised. Illustration is by way of historical photographs.

A useful resource for exploring an important topic.

For Valour, by Nicolas Brasch
Black Dog, 2013
ISBN 9781742032313

Available from good bookstores or online.

Light Horse Boy, by Dianne Wolfer

Now I understand why the landing on April 25th is being called heroic.
We’ve landed in hell.
Bob didn’t make it. He was hit as we struggled ashore. I keep going over that moment. Writing a letter to his wife was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Harder even than going over the side of our ship.

Britain has declared war on Germany, and Australia has vowed to be there. Jim, seeing a chance for adventure rushes to join up before the war ends without him. Soon he and his horse, Breaker, are sailing from Melbourne, off to do their bit. For four years Jim lives the terrible reality of life on the frontline. If he ever returns home, he will be a changed man.

Light Horse Boy is a beautiful record of one soldier’s war. Whilst fiction, it presents a story which could so well be the story of a real soldier’s experience. Using a blend of third person narrative and letters, chiefly between Jim and his sister Alice, back in Australia, Woofer takes readers on a journey through the the years of the first World War, focussing on the role of the Lighthorseman in Gallipoli and Egypt.

Light Horse Boy is a companion volume to Lighthouse Girl and features the same beautiful hard cover design and the brilliant illustrative work of Brian Simmonds. The two complement each other beautifully, though focussing on different aspects of the same war and featuring different characters (with the exception of Charlie, who is friends with Jim but also connects with the lighthouse girl, Fay).

A picture book for older readers, Light Horse Boy is suitable for upper primary and teens.

Light Horse Boy, by Dianne Wolfer, illustrated by Brian Simmonds
Fremantle Press, 2013
ISBN 9781922089137

Available from good bookstores or online.

Gallipoli, by Alan Tucker

The attack has been timed to the minute. Thirty minutes from now we’ll climb down the rope ladders into the lighters and find our seat. I’m one of the lucky ones. I’ve been chosen as one of the 500 men from my battalion who will be in the first wave to land. The Turks won’t know what’s hit them…

Victor Marsh longs for adventure. Not looking forward to a a career as an underground miner, he jumps at the chance to enlist and fight for his country – even though, at just 14 years of age, he has to lie to be able to enlist. Soon, with his new friends Fish, Needle and Robbo, he is trained and sailing for Egypt then on to Gallipoli where, over eight torrid months, he fights not just for his country, but for survival, learning just what war really means, the value of friendship, and just how much courage is needed to carry on.

Gallipoli , part of Scholastic’s My Australian Story records the events of 1915 from the first person perspective of a young soldier, through diary format and the letters he sends to and receives from his mother. Whilst the story is not new, this diary format and the young age of the protagonist, allows the child reader an insight into the realities of the Gallipoli campaign and of war in general. The sub plot of Victor’s ‘gut’ friend Hans, an elderly family friend who, because he is German, is interned for the duration of the war, adds an element which may be less familiar to young readers, and a story which needs to be told.

A valuable educational tool but also simply an absorbing story.

Gallipoli , by Alan Tucker
Scholastic, 2013
ISBN 9781742836935

Available from good bookstores or online.