Charles Bean by Ross Coulthart

[Harper]

The subtitle for this book is "IF PEOPLE REALLY KNEW: one man's struggle to report the Great War and tell the truth."

I found this book to be both informative and easy to read, a rare combination. This is especially true given the amount of source material available at the Australian War Memorial, the book could have become overly detailed.

It charts Bean's transformation from an Anglophile colonial to a dinkum Aussie in the course of 5 years of frontline reporting including regular battles with the censors.

The book gives quite a good overview of the Australian experience 1914-18.

In brief, Bean was the "official correspondent" with the AIF. He was at Gallipoli from start to finish and then transferred to the Western Front. Later in the war he started collecting relics for yet to be founded the Australian War Memorial.

In 1919 he returned to Australia, after revisiting Gallipoli.

He then wrote/edited the multi volume official Australian history of the war.

I would recommend Charles Bean to anyone interested in the Australian contribution in the Great War.

Harper

[jscott]

I'd second these comments Harper - a very enjoyable and readable book.

cheers, Jonathan

[nigelcave]

Alas, like so many people who want to tell the truth, in the end 'prejudices' or whatever one wants to call them, gets in the way. He writes extremely well, of course, and has many , many attriutes, but .... No one is perfect ofcourse - the human condition.

Alas, like so many people who want to tell the truth, in the end 'prejudices' or whatever one wants to call it, gets in the way. He writes extremely well, of course, and has many , many attributes, but .... No one is perfect of course - the human condition and all that.