Download or read book The Big Book of Australia s War Stories written by Jim Haynes and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2019-11-05 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A unique collection of poignant, horrific, sad and sometimes dryly humorous stories and tales about wartime experiences of Australian's on the front lines, in the air and on the sea. 'The bravest thing God ever made,' said a British officer of the insubordinate Aussies at Gallipoli. And before the Normandy invasion, Field Marshal Montgomery's chief of staff remarked, 'I only wish we had the Australian 9th Division with us this morning'. But there is more to the Australian experience of war than heroic endeavour and bravery. Jim Haynes has rediscovered stories that are as harrowing as they are uplifting, as strange as they are brutal and as heart-breaking as they are humorous. From Federation to the Vietnam War, from our first VC winner to our hundredth, this sweeping overview of Australia's military adventures both overseas and at home is a guide to understanding how this nation's role in the twentieth century's major conflicts unfolded as each war ebbed and flowed. These stories have formed Australia's collective memory of war. Some battles and campaigns are household names, although their historical significance may have been lost. Others are barely remembered now but are part of our history and deserve to be retold. These are the accounts, recollections and legends that explain Australia's wartime reputation. They demonstrate the extraordinary courage, resilience, stoic humour, personal heroism and sacrifice that created the mythology of the Aussie 'digger' - the soldiers, sailors, nurses and flyers who did things their own way and earned the undying respect of both their allies and their enemies.
Download or read book World War Bloody Timor written by Peter O’Hanlon and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-03-30 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: World War Bloody Timor gives a revealing insight into the extraordinary life of the everyday digger and service in a conflict that was far from ordinary. My name is Peter O’Hanlon, but everyone in the military, from the lowest digger to the highest officer, has always called me ‘Irish’. You won't see me, or the service men and women like me, featured in the latest blockbuster, but our service lives include drama, laughs and accounts of deep turmoil that are worth telling. I was a member of the Australian Army for 11 years and during my deployment as part of the INTERFET force, serviced three very impacting tours of East Timor. What was it like, as a 19 year to land at the Dilli Airport in Australia’s largest deployment since Vietnam? What are the little-known battles and obstacles that cause unseen scars through a deployment? What are the impacts on re-integrating into the civilian community? This is my story, an ordinary soldier; the juicy yarns, the laughs, the battles, the devastating lows, the soaring highs, the blood, sweat and tears we give in service every day. It will make you laugh and may make you cry. It's the cold hard truth about the impact of a different type of war fought by many who deployed to Timor.
Download or read book Broken Nation written by Joan Beaumont and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2013-11-01 with total page 610 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the 2014 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Australian History; winner of the History Prize in the 2014 NSW Premier’s History Award; winner of the History Award in the 2014 Queensland Literary Awards. The Great War is, for many Australians, the event that defined our nation. The larrikin diggers, trench warfare, and the landing at Gallipoli have become the stuff of the Anzac 'legend'. But it was also a war fought by the families at home. Their resilience in the face of hardship, their stoic acceptance of enormous casualty lists and their belief that their cause was just, made the war effort possible. Broken Nation is the first book to bring together all the dimensions of World War I. Combining deep scholarship with powerful storytelling, Joan Beaumont brings the war years to life: from the well-known battles at Gallipoli, Pozieres, Fromelles and Villers-Bretonneux, to the lesser known battles in Europe and the Middle East; from the ferocious debates over conscription to the disillusioning Paris peace conference and the devastating 'Spanish' flu the soldiers brought home. We witness the fear and courage of tens of thousands of soldiers, grapple with the strategic nightmares confronting the commanders, and come to understand the impact on Australians at home and at the front of death on an unprecedented scale. A century after the Great War, Broken Nation brings lucid insight into the dramatic events, mass grief and political turmoil that makes the memory of this terrible war central to Australia's history. 'A deeply researched, judicious and multi-faceted account of the war that became Australia's greatest tragedy - highly readable for a modern audience.' - David Horner, Professor of Australian Defence History, Australian National University
Download or read book Vietnam written by Bruce Davies and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2012-08-01 with total page 704 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For Australians, Vietnam remains one of most difficult - and controversial - wars we have fought. On the fiftieth anniversary of Australia's first involvement comes Vietnam: The Complete Story of the Australian War, for anyone who wishes to understand why Australia went to war, and who wants to make sense of the intensely unrelenting warfare. For Bruce Davies and Gary McKay, the history of Vietnam - its wars, colonial domination, its search for freedom and its subsequent loss - speaks to an Australian anxiety of a very small population far away from the centre of an empire to which it was firmly committed. The rise of Japan, the War in the Pacific and the postcolonial independence of the peoples of Southeast Asia, coupled with the mercurial influence of Ho Chi Minh and the rise of communism, form the background to the commitment of Australian forces. Vietnam takes the reader to the front line, describing the experiences of soldier, politician, villager, enemy; and into the war room to unpick the military and political strategies. We see the challenges the Australians faced against not only a dogged enemy, but also those by the allies in their quest to defeat a powerful counterinsurgency. The authors' new archival research in Australia and America raises questions about the operational performance of both sides, and recently discovered documents shed new light on the enemy's tactical thinking. Meticulously researched and marked with acute critical analysis and a deep understanding of the place and the war, Vietnam shows the experience of Australian soldiers as never before.
Download or read book Alfred s War written by Rachel Bin Salleh and published by Magabala Books. This book was released on 2018-04-01 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shortlisted for the 2020 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Indigenous Writers' Prize Age range 3 to 10 Alfred’s War is a powerful story that unmasks the lack of recognition given to Australian Indigenous servicemen who returned from the WWI battlelines. Alfred was just a young man when he was injured and shipped home from France. Neither honoured as a returned soldier or offered government support afforded to non-Indigenous servicemen, Alfred took up a solitary life walking the back roads – billy tied to his swag, finding work where he could. Alfred was a forgotten soldier. Although he had fought bravely in the Great War, as an Aboriginal man he wasn’t classed as a citizen of his own country. Yet Alfred always remembered his friends in the trenches and the mateship they had shared. Sometimes he could still hear the never-ending gunfire in his head and the whispers of diggers praying. Every year on ANZAC Day, Alfred walked to the nearest town, where he would quietly stand behind the people gathered and pay homage to his fallen mates. Rachel Bin Salleh’s poignant narrative opens our hearts to the sacrifice and contribution that Indigenous people have made to Australia’s war efforts, the true extent of which is only now being revealed. ‘Every year sees a swell of new stories about ANZAC Day and Alfred’s War is my pick of 2018’s crop…It’s a poignant story, one rooted in truth, and a damning critique of Australian history. Rachel Bin Salleh skilfully renders some tough subjects accessible for young readers, without ever ignoring the reality of Alfred’s situation. The beautiful images from first-time illustrator Samantha Fry also help to soften the sharper edges of this tale.’ — Bronte Coates, Readings ‘Poignant and confronting, revealing and decisive, this beautifully rendered story provides a fundamental link for children of any creed and background to appreciate the sacrifices and contributions made by indigenous people in the shaping of our Australian history.’ — The Boomerang Books Blog 'a beautifully illustrated book...poignant and subtle, its emotional power heightened by its restraint...There is a delicate, dreamlike-quality to the watercolour illustrations by Samantha Fry, an indigenous artist from Darwin.' — Rosemary Neill, The Weekend Australian ‘In the lead-up to Anzac Day (April 25), our TV screens and news outlets will be covering dawn services and marches so it is crucial children have some understanding of the day’s significance….Alfred’s War is particularly poignant due to its Indigenous lens and a story not often told.’ — Laura Jones, South Sydney Herald ‘The beautifully presented picture book tells younger readers the story of Alfred… Rachel Bin Salleh's sparse words give a dignity to the injustices raised by her story… this book adds a new story to the pantheon of tales children read, allowing them to think about the way some people were treated in the past, while encouraging them to mull over how things could and should have been different.’ — Fran Knight, ReadPlus
Download or read book Great Furphies of Australian History written by Jim Haynes and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2021-11-02 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jim Haynes upturns some of the long-held myths of Australian history with surprising results. With all the skills of the master storyteller that he is, Jim Haynes exposes some of the great myths of Australian history. Did you know that Portuguese and Spanish explorers probably found the east coast of Australia before Captain Cook, and that the Rum Rebellion was not caused by rum? And what about Banjo Paterson writing Waltzing Matilda? As for Ned Kelly being a brave freedom-fighting rebel, in truth he was a thief, a thug and a murderer. The Ashes have nothing to do with cricket, the Ghan is not named after Afghan cameleers and Hargraves lied about discovering gold in New South Wales. Surprising, confounding, revealing and fun, Jim Haynes takes us on another great journey through Australian history and folklore.
Download or read book The Broken Years written by Bill Gammage and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Uses the diaries and letters of a thousand Australian soldiers to reconstruct with great sensitivity the valour and the tragedy of their experience. Shows how and why the Great War was to have profound effects on the attitudes and ideals of Australia as a nation.
Download or read book Voices of War written by Michael Caulfield and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawn from engagements ranging from World War I through to operations in East Timor and Iraq, these stories are taken from the Australians at War Film Archive. These are the memories of over 2000 Australians who have served on the front line. Some are unbearably tragic, others are the golden memories of appy, albeit unusual, times.
Download or read book Soldiers Tales written by Denny Neave and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-10-01 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In their own words the Aussie diggers provide a fascinating glimpse of the many funny and touching moments that our Diggers often hold to their chest. The collection of stories in this book provides a taste of what a soldier's life is like both in war and peace.
Download or read book Military Vignettes written by Carol Rosenhain and published by . This book was released on 2021-02-23 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bravado, shame, sorrow and hilarity were some of the emotions felt by Australian servicemen and their families during the wars Australians fought in the twentieth century. While voluminous histories, biographies and fictionalised narratives have been shaped around the key events of these conflicts, much of the minutiae of everyday wartime remains lost and unrecorded. This selection of short stories attempts to capture these fleeting moments before they are lost forever. The ordinary people who populate these pages are crafted from snippets of conversation, letters and anecdotes, that having once found voice can now hopefully echo.
Download or read book Great Australian Rascals Rogues and Ratbags written by Jim Haynes and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2022-11-01 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An incredible collection of true crime characters from Australia's master storyteller. The bold, the bad, and the slightly mad... Criminality, some say, is part of Australia's national identity, and in Great Australian Rascals, Rogues and Ratbags Jim Haynes profiles fifteen larger-than-life Aussie rogues - some of our greatest ne'er-do-wells from colonial times to the modern era. These stories uncover the truth and expose the myths about characters ranging from the most despicable examples of humanity, to those whose courage has to be admired and whose so-called 'crimes' were unjustly punished. This fascinating collection features felons who have sprung from Australia's underbelly since 1788, such as the infamous Kate Leigh of the razor gangs; the convict Mary Bryant, who in 1791 escaped from the Sydney penal settlement and somehow made it back to England; James Hardy Vaux, who was sent to Australia no less than three times; Henry James O'Farrell, the madman who attempted to murder Prince Alfred in Sydney in 1868; and John Leak, who was repeatedly charged with insolence, disobedience and being absent without leave in World War I - and awarded the Victoria Cross. Told with Jim's inimitable combination of history and humour, Great Australian Rascals, Rogues and Ratbags is packed with murders, mystery and miscreants: true stories of true criminals from Australia's past. 'entertaining . . . highly readable . . . you will find some genuinely amazing new facts and insights.' ArtsHub
Download or read book Australia and the Great War written by Michael JK Walsh and published by Melbourne Univ. Publishing. This book was released on 2016-01-01 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Australia and the Great War explores both the immediate and long-term consequences of the war on this complex relationship, looking in particular at identity, history, gender, propaganda, economics and nationalism. This multidisciplinary collection of essays unveils the creation and subsequent [mis]use of histories and mythologies while considering the necessity and nature of both remembering, and forgetting, war.
Download or read book Adventurers Pioneers and Misfits written by Jim Haynes and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2020-11-03 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The petty thief . . . who escaped Van Diemen's Land, twice, stole the government brig and set sail for Japan, where, by the Shogun's decree, all foreigners were to be executed. The world's best cricketer . . . a champion of Aboriginal people who 'invented' Aussie Rules, survived the worst massacre of white settlers in Australia's history and killed himself with a pair of scissors. The eccentric musical genius . . . who played in the greatest concert halls in the world but pushed his favourite piano stool between venues in a wheelbarrow. Over the many years Jim Haynes has spent exploring and writing about the quirkier events and people in Australia's history, he has discovered characters who have amazed, surprised and simply ba?ed him. This is a book about some of those men and women and their remarkable, out-of-the-ordinary and almost unbelievable lives. As he always does, Jim has discovered that there is more to the story than ?rst meets the eye. Who knew that the ?rst man hanged in Australia made an artefact now valued at over one million dollars? Or that an Australian swimmer was the highest-paid act on the American vaudeville circuit and the star of the ?rst million-dollar movie ever made? And that the father of the ?rst Australian woman to serve in parliament was hanged for murder? With a light touch, a wry eye and his gifts as a master storyteller, Jim shares the tales and adventures of a group of heroic, feisty, ?awed and pioneering characters who have shaped our nation and introduced Australia to the world.
Download or read book Stories of Love and War written by Rebecca Britt and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offers a window into love during war by exploring the beautiful, humorous, touching and evocative objects found amongst the treasures of the Australian War Memorial's collections.
Download or read book Heroes Rebels and Radicals of Convict Australia written by Jim Haynes and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2023-10-31 with total page 407 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Australia's most amazing characters of the convict age. 'Aussies love a good story and entertainer Jim Haynes has been telling them for decades' —Courier-Mail In Heroes, Rebels and Radicals of Convict Australia, our master storyteller Jim Haynes has collected a fascinating cast of characters who embody the resourcefulness, bravery, defiance, successes and tragedies of the convict era, the men and women who forged the nation we would one day become. There's Joseph Banks, the true founder of the colony; Surgeon John White, the saviour of the First Fleet; Pemulwuy, the Bidjigal freedom fighter; Mary Reiby, the horse thief who made good; Sapy Lovell, the Eora gypsy convict; John Donohue, the wild colonial boy; Lady Jane Franklin, the true leader of Van Diemen's Land – and many more! Why did transportation occur, why did it end, and what was it like living in Australia from 1788 to 1870? Skilfully researched and told in Jim's warm and witty style, Heroes, Rebels and Radicals of Convict Australia answers these questions and brings to life well-known and unknown figures from Australia's history as a penal settlement. This is the true story of the colonisation of Australia. 'In a year when we could all use a different perspective Jim Haynes came to the rescue with his latest sojourn into history . . . a cast of colourful characters.' —Spectator
Download or read book Australian War Graves Workers and World War One written by Fred Cahir and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-11-13 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book relays the largely untold story of the approximately 1,100 Australian war graves workers whose job it was to locate, identify exhume and rebury the thousands of Australian soldiers who died in Europe during the First World War. It tells the story of the men of the Australian Graves Detachment and the Australian Graves Service who worked in the period 1919 to 1922 to ensure that grieving families in Australia had a physical grave which they could mourn the loss of their loved ones. By presenting biographical vignettes of eight men who undertook this work, the book examines the mechanics of the commemoration of the Great War and extends our understanding of the individual toll this onerous task took on the workers themselves.
Download or read book Valour and Violets written by Robert Kearney and published by . This book was released on 2018-01-29 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Close to 35,000 South Australians enlisted for service overseas during the Great War. Around 5500 never came back. Countless more returned with physical and psychological injuries. This book brings together the stories of the campaigns and battles in which South Australians served, set against the backdrop of the South Australian home front.
