[NeilE]

Hi Peter;

I agree with your interesting post. One of the great challenges of Great War history, whether on the ground, in the air, or on water, is to separate the myths from the facts and realities.

Whilst Les' books are great reads and well researched up to a point, he does a pretty good job peddling quite a few of the old ANZAC myths himself (Particularly in "Gallipoli").

Myths of the fighting qualities of the Aussies, their 'legendary resourcefulness', the impact of the Australian war effort, the contributions of other Commonwealth troops in 'Australian' actions, and others are put forward for the reader with little comment at times. Carylon tends to rely on popular resources, particularly C.E.W. Bean's works.

I like Les' books, they are a great popular introduction to the topic, but they are not that deeply researched.

Some others I like are the following:

"Rural Australia And The Great War" - John McQuilton. A great study of the rural home front - excellent analyses of the dynamics of recruitment, the conscription debates, and impacts on one area in rural Victoria.

"ANZACS, The Media, And The Great War" - John F. Williams. Williams examines in great detail the role of the wartime media - newspapers primarily, in the creation of the ANZAC myth.

"Dinkum Diggers" - Dale Blair. A great in depth study of the First Division from Gallipoli to the end of the war. Blair examines the popular ANZAC myths in contrast to the reality of the men of the division and explodes most of them. Dale also examines C.E.W. Bean's role in creating the ANZAC myth.

"Somme Mud" - E.P.F. Lynch. Lynch was an Australian private and front line infantryman who served on the Western front 1916-1918. Lynch wrote his memoirs in 1921, couldn't get them published, and they sat in a shoe box until recently. Harrowing reading at times, its one of the best accounts of the front line infantryman's experience. Not to be missed!

There are other interesting works out there of course but these all take off where Carlyon leaves off.

As for the comments of the old digger, some of those old men's views often became influenced by the popular mythologies and cultures about the ANZAC's that proliferated after the Great War. Plus the average digger of 1914-1918 was often an insular Anglocentric xenophobe. Some of the accounts of Australian interactions with the Egyptians at Suez and others are not edifying reading.

Keep on reading!

Cheers

Neil