Great Anzac Stories
The men and women who created the digger legend
Stories of heroism, suffering and endurance - and also humour - from the main wars in which Australians have fought.
'Accessible, short, often fresh tales capture the spirit and sentiment of Anzac.' - Roland Perry
Over the years, the experiences of soldiers at war become the stuff of legend: tales of great bravery, battlefield wins, and also the tragic losses and poignant moments. Great Anzac Stories gathers iconic stories of Australians at war - on the front line and at home.
Here we relive the horror of the first day on Gallipoli, acutely aware of what was to come. We admire the courage of the men who fought at Fromelles, the Rats of Tobruk, the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels and the secret submariners. We remember the nurses working in impossible conditions, support efforts on the home front, and some of the most daring men this country has ever produced.
With larrikin episodes, grim jokes from the front, and dramatic eyewitness accounts, Great Anzac Stories includes many stories which haven't seen the light of day since wartime. It uncovers the distinctive character of the Australian digger, and the growth of the Anzac tradition over the years.
Author bio:
Graham Seal is Professor of Folklore at Curtin University, and a leading expert on traditional Australian cultural history. He is author of the bestselling Great Australian Stories.
Acknowledgements
Glossary
FOUNDATIONS OF ANZAC
Digger
First to fall
The forgotten island
The silent Anzac
The first day on Gallipoli
Talk about go!
The landing
Parables of Anzac
Silence of the guns
Furphy
Leaving Gallipoli
We got it in the neck
At Pozieres
We did all that was asked of us
The charge at Beersheba
HEROES OF ANZAC
They just poured into the wards all day
Everyone was as cheerful as possible
Private Punch
A soldier of the cross
Fromelles
The Australians are here!
The Roo de Kanga
The only gleams of sunshine
The underground artillery
Matilda goes to war
Tobruk Rats
'Bluey' Truscott
Angels of the Owen Stanley Range
Australia's secret submariners
THE HOME FRONT
Scots of the Riverina
The Durban Signaller
The chalk Rising Sun
Blighty
Homecoming
Very irritated
Death's soldier
A stitch in time
The Nackeroos
Yanks Down Under
The Brisbane Line
Miss Luckman's journal
LAUGHTER
A million cat-calls
The Pommies and the Yanks
Religion
Monocles
Food and drink
Babbling brooks
Army biscuits
The casual digger
Officers
Birdie
The piece of paper
Baldy becomes mobile
Characters
'The Unofficial History of the AIF'
Please Let Us Take Tobruk
Parable of the kit inspection
The Air Force wife
LEGENDS OF ANZAC
The Eureka sword
The lost submarine
The vanished battalion
The two men with donkeys
WC Murphy's daughter
The souvenir king
The crucified soldier
The walers
ANZAC to Anzac
Anzac and the Rising Sun
The first and the last
MEMORIES
No. 008 Trooper J. Redgum
The first Anzac Days
Return to Gallipoli
After the war
The lonely Anzac
The longest memorial
The lone pines
Mrs Kim's commemoration
The long aftermath of Fromelles
The Unknown Sailor
The Long Tan cross
Flowers of remembrance
The lady of violets
Sound and silence
Hugo Throssell's VC
Do you remember?
Select sources and references
Picture credits
Index
Teachers reviews
Over the past couple of years the Australian ideals of Anzac and Mateship, courage and honour, and particularly National identity forged through War, have been much explored themes in Australian society, new literature, and historical texts. This text is accessible and easy to dip into, a blend of material quoted directly from already published words written, or spoken, by serving Australians over a period of around 75 years, within a framework of context and analysis by author Graham Seal. There is an extensive list of Contents, with page numbers given under a large number of sub headings. These enable the reader to follow a particular thread, or to go back and find something again later.
Australian readers will welcome the many original anecdotes that are presented. They make vibrant, interesting reading. Although nowadays we may consider it a stereotype, the voice of the Australian laconic male figure, with his familiar sense of humour, is fresh and vital in this very accessible book. The Australian boys are ‘over there’ doing their bit amidst great difficulty and horror, but their irreverent wit and total lack of self-pity help the reader to feel compassion, understand the realities of war, and to also enjoy a laugh at the expense of authority, always a ‘sure fire’ winning technique. The stories are presented in different type face to the commentary, with headings, sub headings, and the division of text into relatively short chunks. The structure is clearly visible, and this will help young readers to maintain interest, without having to read the whole text as one text.
Seal ends his book with a good list of sources and references, and excellent index, and a list of photo credits. Together with the Contents list and glossary, all of these are useful in helping to teach referencing to young students. Suitable for late Primary to mid Secondary readers. Useful as a text for History or Society and Environment studies, the book would also make a good pairing with another text from a different genre for the purpose of study in English. It could provide a springboard for discussion on a range of themes. It could lead to discussion about war, about taking risks, heroism, fear, terrorism; and possibly post-traumatic stress disorder and other Mental Health issues for those who are caught up in War.
Helen Wilde, SA
