Books: The Centenary History of Australia in the Great War

[Mike Cecil]

This is a set of five volumes covering the major aspects of Australia's involvement in the Great War (1914 to 1918), and is said to compliment the official history compiled in the immediate post-war period by CEW Bean et al, which overall, it does.

The five volumes are:
V1: Michael Molkentin: Australia and the War in the Air
V2: Jeff Grey (decd) The War with the Ottoman Empire
V3: Robert Stevenson: The War with Germany
V4: Conner, Stanley & Yule: The War at Home.
V5: Jean Bou & Peter Dennis: The Australian Imperial Force.

The two that I've read with some thoroughness are V3 (for the book review I was asked to write for JMH) and V5, but I've scanned through the rest at some length.

The series stands well together, but each volume would stand alone very well. But I'm a sucker for a 'set', so I obtained them all, and I'm glad I did. Very well written, nicely presented, and very, very informative.

There are the usual array of annoying inaccuracies, such as the claim in V5 that no AIF nurses left Australia until the third convoy (Feb 1915) whereas by that stage, over 190 had left, with 30 being on the first convoy in Oct 1914, plus there were none embarked in the Feb 1915 convoy anyway. And I'm not too sure about assigning 'Driver' as a rank - I think it is an appointment, whereas the rank is Private, Sapper or Gunner, depending upon the Corps. The authors don't provide a reference list or bibliography in the conventional way, but a 'bibliographic essay' which I found useful as a chapter, but not as a substitute for an 'author-betical' reference list - not having one is bloody annoying when trying to pin down a reference for further reading.

I can recommend this set, or each book within the set, to anyone with an interest in the First World War. It certainly places Australia and the Australian contribution in its rightful place - as a small but relatively important player in a much bigger game, and without any of the nationalistic rhetoric that often colours the Australian perception of the country's contribution. The writers analyse that 'position' in relation to both the British war effort, and those of Canada and New Zealand as well, so there is certainly some good reading in there for a broad range of nationalities, not just Australians.

I bought my volumes via Abe Books (www.abebooks.com) 'search & buy' website, and all were available from US-based booksellers.

Mike