In the Shadow of Gallipoli: The Hidden Story of Australia in WWI

by Robert Bollard

The fighting Anzacs have metamorphosed from flesh and blood into mythic icons; the war they fought in is distant and the resistance to it within Australia has been forgotten. This book corrects such historical amnesia by looking at what occured on the Australian home front during WWI, showing that the war was a disaster and many Australians knew it. It not only considers the wartime strike wave resulting from the discontent and dissent, such as the Great Strike of 1917, but also the impact of international political events, including the Easter Rising in Ireland and the Russian Revolution. Demonstrating that the first year of peace was tumultuous, as strikes and riots involving returned Anzacs shook Australia throughout 1919, this book uncovers the history that has been obscured by the shadow of Anzac.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Australia

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t help thinking that the title of this 2013 book was chosen with one eye on the then-upcoming centenary of Gallipoli in April 2015. There is, in fact, very little about Gallipoli in it at all. The content is far better conveyed by the sub-title ‘The hidden history of Australia in World War I’.
...
This book is an eminently readable counter-balance to the hoopla surrounding Gallipoli, aimed at a general audience, that examines the division and acrimony at home in Australia during the war.
...
With the focus on unions and resistance, this is a very political book, with few individuals (other than politicians) stepping forward to centre stage. It is a book of organizations more than people, drawn from newspaper reports and government files.
...
What he does really well is tell a good story. The narrative is chronological, it is very clearly written, and it’s a seductively easy read. It’s a good antidote to the hefty, celebratory WWI books with big single-word titles that have burdened the nation’s bookshelves over the past few years.

For my complete review, see
https://residentjudge.wordpress.com/2...

[Maria do Socorro Baptista · Rating 4 out of 5]

É comum pensarmos na Primeira Guerra Mundial em terras europeias, e às vezes esquecemos de como tal evento foi vivido por pessoas no oriente e na oceania. Este livro nos mostra a participação da Austrália em um momento específico, e como tal momento marca a história do país. É sempre um aprendizado interessante.