The Great War

[paulgranger]

On the way back from New Zealand two years ago, I found this on sale in the Sydney Airport bookshop. I'd enjoyed 'Gallipoli' by Mr Carlyon, but weight restrictions, and a groaning credit card meant I couldn't indulge myself. Besides, foolishly, I though it would be available back in Blighty, which, of course, it wasn't and isn't. So, question to our ANZAC members, did I miss a masterpiece?

[AlanCurragh]

I ordered my "Great War" from Australia - couldn't find it over here in the UK. Even longer than Gallipoli - but that was so good, I couldn't resist. Haven't read it yet, though

Alan

[john jerome mcmanus]

LS4668,

In my humble opinion Les Carlyon's "The Great War" rates alongside Bean's masterpiece.

Hope you manage to obtain a copy

Regards

Pop

(SeanMcManus)

[Waddell]

LS4668,

It your interested at all in the AIF on the Western Front then I would say indulge yourself with this book.

I read it just after it came out and it was a good introduction and overview for me of Australian involvement on the Western Front. I see Sean rates it up there with Bean. I don't have a copy of Bean's volumes at home and have found myself many times referring to this book to gain an understanding of a battle, so I can see a comparison. There are plenty of maps as well.

Les Carlyon does have a few opinions that come through in the text, some of which I see still form a thread on this forum. There is also an underlying theme of "we never really saw them"- that is we are generally unaware of what they did which is woven through the text. There are a lot of beautifully written sections in this book.

Beware it is a long book at around 800 pages and I found it difficult to get through the third quarter. Is it a masterpiece? I don't know, but I'm glad I read it and can understand why our former PM awarded it a prize. Incidentally that PM's father and grandfather are also mentioned in the book.

Hope that helps.

Scott.

[Michael Molkentin]

Carlyon does have a knack with words. His prose is lively, evocative and very reader friendly. I have non-historian friends who read it and really liked it.

I think it's far too long though. His editor really should have been more judicious with the scissors. I'd say that, especially for a 'popular market' (which is what he is targeted at) it should have been about half as long.

A far better choice for people wanting a recent single volume on the AIF is Peter Pedersen's "The Anzacs"- its written well, thoroughly researched and contains a balance between 'military' and 'social' history. By that, I mean that he provides a balance between the operational and command aspects of the AIF and the dramatic, front line stuff. Its about half as long as Carlyon and also covers much more ground- Gallipoli, Palestine and the Western Front. And, whereas Carlyon focuses almost exclusively on the infantry, Pedersen gives the light horse, artillery, medical corps, military police and Australian Flying Corps their due. The only area in which Carlyon outdoes Pedersen is maps- 'The Anzacs' has only a few and they are nothing special.

Michael

[armistice]

This is a great book. Here are some of my impressions written shortly after reading it last year...

In "The Great War" Les Carlyon, continues his examination of Australian forces in the First World War with a campaign history of the Infantry Brigades of the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on the western front from Fromelles in 1916 to Montbrehain in 1918. Carlyon also takes us back to Australia, divided socially and politically as the Prime Minister, Billy Hughes, leads his own (and ultimately failed) fight to introduce conscription, as Australian casualties outstrip enlistments and divisions are reduced to the size of battalions, and battalions are threatened with disbandment leading to cases of mutiny amongst the diggers. Intrigues also ensue in British politicking; and relationships between the British, the dominion forces, and the Americans are within the scope of this book as they relate to the AIF.

Despite the size of the book, at 800+ pages, Carlyon writes so eloquently that this is an easy and highly readable account; moving and sentimental. Les Carlyon's passion for the Australian volunteers who fought, died and survived shines through on every page. Les Carlyon himself walks the fields of war where 61,700 Australians died so far from home, and his impressions of the ground together with his descriptions of the relics that still litter the soil and the cemeteries add a melancholy weight to the story.

[john jerome mcmanus]

G'day Armistice,

What a lovely appraisal!

Rgards

Pop

(Sean McManus)