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Barbed Wire and Roses
The First World War, everyone said in 1914, would be over by Christmas, and Stephen Conway rushes to enlist. Leaving behind a new wife and a baby on the way, he soon finds himself in the trenches of Gallipoli. Four horrific years later, Stephen is the only survivor of his platoon. Shell-shocked and disillusioned, and during the the heat of battle on the blood-stained fields of France, he mysteriously disappears.
More than eighty years later, Stephen's grandson Patrick finds a diary that leads him to Britain and France on a journey to discover what really happened. It is a journey during which he unexpectedly finds love, and the truth about his grandfather's fate that is even stranger and more shocking than he imagined.
Based on true events, this is an unforgettable novel of courage and survival from a master storyteller.
More than eighty years later, Stephen's grandson Patrick finds a diary that leads him to Britain and France on a journey to discover what really happened. It is a journey during which he unexpectedly finds love, and the truth about his grandfather's fate that is even stranger and more shocking than he imagined.
Based on true events, this is an unforgettable novel of courage and survival from a master storyteller.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
4 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Peter Yeldham
24 books17 followersPeter Yeldham has been a writer since the age of seventeen, when he wrote short stories and radio scripts. He went to England, intending to stay a year and stayed nearly twenty, writing for British television in the nineteen sixties, then feature films and stage plays, including the highly successful “Birds on the Wing” and “Fringe Benefits” which ran for two years in Paris. He has written another five plays for the theatre and collaborated on the musical “Seven Little Australians.”
His Australian work includes numerous mini-series, among them 1915, Captain James Cook, The Alien Years, All the Rivers Run, The Heroes, Heroes ll – The Return, The Far Country, Run from the Morning, The Timeless Land, Ride on Stranger and The Battlers. He adapted Bryce Courtenay’s novel Jessica which won the 2005 Logie award for best mini-series. He is the author of eight previous novels, which include A Bitter Harvest, Without Warning, The Currency Lads, Against The Tide, and The Murrumbidgee Kid.
In 1991 he received an Order of Australia Medal for achievement in film and television, and in 2003 a Centenary Medal for services to Australian writing. Industry honours include six Australian Writing Awards, a British Guild Award , and a nomination for an International Emmy for his television drama, Captain James Cook.
His Australian work includes numerous mini-series, among them 1915, Captain James Cook, The Alien Years, All the Rivers Run, The Heroes, Heroes ll – The Return, The Far Country, Run from the Morning, The Timeless Land, Ride on Stranger and The Battlers. He adapted Bryce Courtenay’s novel Jessica which won the 2005 Logie award for best mini-series. He is the author of eight previous novels, which include A Bitter Harvest, Without Warning, The Currency Lads, Against The Tide, and The Murrumbidgee Kid.
In 1991 he received an Order of Australia Medal for achievement in film and television, and in 2003 a Centenary Medal for services to Australian writing. Industry honours include six Australian Writing Awards, a British Guild Award , and a nomination for an International Emmy for his television drama, Captain James Cook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
November 25, 2017
The enthusiasm of the young volunteers to enlist and head to war was catching; the streets of Sydney were buzzing, and Stephen Conway found himself beside a young farmer named Bluey as they registered for training and the eventual journey to Gallipoli and beyond. But before Stephen left, he married his sweetheart Jane. Their four days of honeymoon in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains was over too quickly…
Gallipoli was the start of the horror of the trenches, the mud, the flies and death for Stephen and his friends; it was also where he learned he was to become a father. And the war that was supposed to be over quickly continued…
When Patrick Conway of Sydney, Australia discovered a diary more than eighty years later, he was shocked to realise it was his grandfather’s. He and his sister Sally discovered papers as well as the diary in their father’s effects after he’d passed away. What would follow was a journey for Patrick to France and London, to learn the truth about his elusive grandfather and what had really happened all those years ago.
Barbed Wire and Roses is an absolutely heartbreaking historical fiction novel which is based on true events, by Aussie author Peter Yeldham. The shocking carnage of war goes on; it makes us wonder why it “has to be”. World War I was filled with atrocities, of the completely unnecessary deaths of thousands of young men on all sides. The author has done an excellent job with the story; the character of Stephen was a solid one; his grandson Patrick was the same. A highly readable novel, Barbed Wire and Roses is one I have no hesitation in recommending.
Gallipoli was the start of the horror of the trenches, the mud, the flies and death for Stephen and his friends; it was also where he learned he was to become a father. And the war that was supposed to be over quickly continued…
When Patrick Conway of Sydney, Australia discovered a diary more than eighty years later, he was shocked to realise it was his grandfather’s. He and his sister Sally discovered papers as well as the diary in their father’s effects after he’d passed away. What would follow was a journey for Patrick to France and London, to learn the truth about his elusive grandfather and what had really happened all those years ago.
Barbed Wire and Roses is an absolutely heartbreaking historical fiction novel which is based on true events, by Aussie author Peter Yeldham. The shocking carnage of war goes on; it makes us wonder why it “has to be”. World War I was filled with atrocities, of the completely unnecessary deaths of thousands of young men on all sides. The author has done an excellent job with the story; the character of Stephen was a solid one; his grandson Patrick was the same. A highly readable novel, Barbed Wire and Roses is one I have no hesitation in recommending.
September 10, 2015
10/9 - Barbed Wire and Roses was an interesting book, a well researched and decently written book, a good book. Not fantastic, not riveting, but engaging enough to make me want to see it through to end, and I'm glad I did because I enjoyed it.
There were a couple of occasions where I Felt like Yeldham was proudly displaying his vocabulary by using uncommon words where more well known ones would have worked just fine. Near the beginning of the book, not too far in to Stephen's first section Yeldham used the word dissevered to describe what happened to the dead bodies in No Man's Land when bomb after bomb fell on them. I'm hardly an authority on language but I'm pretty well read and I hadn't heard that word before. I had to look it up because I wasn't sure that it was a word at all. The combination of 'dis' and 'sever' seemed to me like a double negative. It turns out that it is indeed a word that does indeed mean pretty much the same thing as sever, it just sounds more sophisticated as it's not widely used anymore. Once I had looked dissever up and realised that it was almost the same word as sever I felt a little like the author was trying to show off, arrogantly displaying his vocabulary and proving that he was intelligent because he could correctly use words that a lot of his readers wouldn't have heard of before. The whole episode left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Other than that the book was well written and edited, something I was very pleased to note when I got to the end of the book.
I guess I don't know what other Australians might know about Australia's involvement in WWI, I probably know quite a bit because of my family's connection to it, but I was surprised that Patrick was written with an ignorance about the part the ANZACs played in the battles for Villers Bretonneux and Pozieres and the way those towns continue to celebrate what the ANZAC soldiers did for them. This was set in 2000, which I remember (I was 15/16), but I don't remember that ANZAC day specifically, or what was on the news that night. I do remember that at least for the last few years the news or one of our current affair programs has sent a reporter over to Villers Bretonneux or Pozieres (or both) to show the streets named after places in Melbourne, the schools that sing Waltzing Matilda every morning, the signs that still proclaim "Thank God for the ANZACs" even 100 years later. So, considering that Patrick is Australian I figured he would have seen similar news reports to what I've been watching for many years now (maybe the news wasn't making as much of a fuss of it 15 years ago), so I was surprised when he was surprised by the fuss they make of the ANZACs and their continued love for the soldiers who fought for their towns all those years ago. After realising that Patrick was unaware of the reverence the ANZACs are held in, I was less surprised that he didn't know that the Australian government refused to allow a single Australian soldier to be executed for 'desertion', arguing that as every man who joined up did so voluntarily they couldn't be held to the same rules as the British conscripts (and others from the rest of the British dominion). So, while I knew that a firing squad at dawn couldn't be the climax of the story (this story is fictional but as the government's stance on the punishment for desertion is known and easily looked up if not already known, I was pretty sure that Yeldham wouldn't be so brazen as to include a detail that is so obviously historically inaccurate), I still found myself tense as the final fate of Stephen was slowly revealed (death by firing squad may not be historically accurate, but death by a number of other means was).
Despite enjoying the story (or maybe because of it) I won't be keeping this book. Now that I've read and reviewed it I'll send it off in a box to find a new home where hopefully someone else will get some enjoyment out of it.
There were a couple of occasions where I Felt like Yeldham was proudly displaying his vocabulary by using uncommon words where more well known ones would have worked just fine. Near the beginning of the book, not too far in to Stephen's first section Yeldham used the word dissevered to describe what happened to the dead bodies in No Man's Land when bomb after bomb fell on them. I'm hardly an authority on language but I'm pretty well read and I hadn't heard that word before. I had to look it up because I wasn't sure that it was a word at all. The combination of 'dis' and 'sever' seemed to me like a double negative. It turns out that it is indeed a word that does indeed mean pretty much the same thing as sever, it just sounds more sophisticated as it's not widely used anymore. Once I had looked dissever up and realised that it was almost the same word as sever I felt a little like the author was trying to show off, arrogantly displaying his vocabulary and proving that he was intelligent because he could correctly use words that a lot of his readers wouldn't have heard of before. The whole episode left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Other than that the book was well written and edited, something I was very pleased to note when I got to the end of the book.
I guess I don't know what other Australians might know about Australia's involvement in WWI, I probably know quite a bit because of my family's connection to it, but I was surprised that Patrick was written with an ignorance about the part the ANZACs played in the battles for Villers Bretonneux and Pozieres and the way those towns continue to celebrate what the ANZAC soldiers did for them. This was set in 2000, which I remember (I was 15/16), but I don't remember that ANZAC day specifically, or what was on the news that night. I do remember that at least for the last few years the news or one of our current affair programs has sent a reporter over to Villers Bretonneux or Pozieres (or both) to show the streets named after places in Melbourne, the schools that sing Waltzing Matilda every morning, the signs that still proclaim "Thank God for the ANZACs" even 100 years later. So, considering that Patrick is Australian I figured he would have seen similar news reports to what I've been watching for many years now (maybe the news wasn't making as much of a fuss of it 15 years ago), so I was surprised when he was surprised by the fuss they make of the ANZACs and their continued love for the soldiers who fought for their towns all those years ago. After realising that Patrick was unaware of the reverence the ANZACs are held in, I was less surprised that he didn't know that the Australian government refused to allow a single Australian soldier to be executed for 'desertion', arguing that as every man who joined up did so voluntarily they couldn't be held to the same rules as the British conscripts (and others from the rest of the British dominion). So, while I knew that a firing squad at dawn couldn't be the climax of the story (this story is fictional but as the government's stance on the punishment for desertion is known and easily looked up if not already known, I was pretty sure that Yeldham wouldn't be so brazen as to include a detail that is so obviously historically inaccurate), I still found myself tense as the final fate of Stephen was slowly revealed (death by firing squad may not be historically accurate, but death by a number of other means was).
Despite enjoying the story (or maybe because of it) I won't be keeping this book. Now that I've read and reviewed it I'll send it off in a box to find a new home where hopefully someone else will get some enjoyment out of it.
July 9, 2015
5 ★s
This is a deeply moving story with a very serious subject at heart - the appalling treatment by the British officer classes of soldiers who suffered shell shock in World War 1. The hero of this book, Stephen Conway, is typical of the bright young Australian men who raced to enlist at the outbreak of WW1 in the expectation of adventure and demonstrating loyalty to the mother country. He takes part in the Gallipoli campaign, facing terrible deprivation and anguish, with the loss of so many mates tearing at his sanity. Following the evacuation of the Dardanelles, he ends up fighting on the Western Front in France. There he endures many more years of appalling living conditions, brutal, relentless fighting and the bloody deaths of colleagues. His mental health deteriorates to the point where he simply cannot go on further.
The story switches to present day Australia, where Stephen’s grandson Patrick is getting ready to travel to the UK to pitch a film script to the BBC. Following the recent discovery of information about Stephen in the possession of Richard, Stephen’s son, Patrick takes a side trip to Villers Bretonneux to see if any information about his grandfather’s resting place can be determined. It seems that Stephen vanished from the military records without trace in 1918, shortly before the armistice. His wife Jane received letters from the battlefields which advised of his death, but which did not supply a date nor a burial location.
The story switches often from Stephen's first person account of his life at the front lines, written in his precious journal, to Patrick's story, couched in the third person in the present day. Yeldham's prose is a little plain, and lacks a lyrical quality, but he tells this story very directly and in a way that kept my attention riveted to the pages. Like Patrick, I was desperate to find out what happened to the good-natured, talented and loving husband, son and brother, Stephen Conway.
While touring the battlefields, Patrick meets Claire, an English woman on holidays, at the Menin Gate. They strike up a close friendship and promise to keep in touch after going their separate ways. Patrick travels to London, where he is given the run-around by the BBC bureaucrats. In frustration he occupies his time by searching for further information about his ancestor, enlisting Claire’s help and also her affections along the way. Their inquiries take them on a search for Miss Georgina Rickson, who sent Stephen’s diary to Richard Conway in the 1960s. If she is still alive, she may be able to tell them if Stephen survived the war, and what happened to him afterwards.
Patrick’s investigations lead him to unearth some seriously unsavoury aspects of the underbelly of war. His grandfather’s time at Netley psychiatric hospital reveals how maligned and mistreated were the victims of shell shock. It then leads to an examination of the horrific practice of executing soldiers who are adjudged to be cowards, because of their mental anguish. I found this section of the book quite distressing to read. The arrogance and insensitivity of the British high command, from the likes of Kitchener, Winston Churchill and the generals, right down to the colonels and majors in command of troops was truly shocking to read about. All of these men, lauded as war heroes by the jingoist media of the day, have the blood of thousands and thousands of innocent, decent young men and women on their hands. Terrible…may their bastard souls rot in Hell for ever.
As their personal relationship intensifies, Patrick and Claire work diligently to track down Georgina Rickson, and ultimately, after many set-backs they take possession of a journal which explains once and for all what happened to Stephen. It is a bitter-sweet story, no doubt typical of many of the sad personal outcomes of that terrible conflict known as World War 1.
We now know about post-traumatic stress disorder, and treat sufferers with the dignity they deserve. I think Australians nowadays have a healthy scepticism about the incompetence of the British high command, which needlessly sent so many bright young men to a bloody death. Yeldham's book is not a gem of exquisite prose, but it is a very good account of a murky aspect of war, something that was swept under the carpet for decades. I've given it 5 stars because it exposes and examines an aspect of military history, in particular ANZAC history, that is not well known. Everything I have read written by Yeldham has been well-written, thoroughly researched and ultimately very satisfying. I commend him to Australian readers.
This is a deeply moving story with a very serious subject at heart - the appalling treatment by the British officer classes of soldiers who suffered shell shock in World War 1. The hero of this book, Stephen Conway, is typical of the bright young Australian men who raced to enlist at the outbreak of WW1 in the expectation of adventure and demonstrating loyalty to the mother country. He takes part in the Gallipoli campaign, facing terrible deprivation and anguish, with the loss of so many mates tearing at his sanity. Following the evacuation of the Dardanelles, he ends up fighting on the Western Front in France. There he endures many more years of appalling living conditions, brutal, relentless fighting and the bloody deaths of colleagues. His mental health deteriorates to the point where he simply cannot go on further.
The story switches to present day Australia, where Stephen’s grandson Patrick is getting ready to travel to the UK to pitch a film script to the BBC. Following the recent discovery of information about Stephen in the possession of Richard, Stephen’s son, Patrick takes a side trip to Villers Bretonneux to see if any information about his grandfather’s resting place can be determined. It seems that Stephen vanished from the military records without trace in 1918, shortly before the armistice. His wife Jane received letters from the battlefields which advised of his death, but which did not supply a date nor a burial location.
The story switches often from Stephen's first person account of his life at the front lines, written in his precious journal, to Patrick's story, couched in the third person in the present day. Yeldham's prose is a little plain, and lacks a lyrical quality, but he tells this story very directly and in a way that kept my attention riveted to the pages. Like Patrick, I was desperate to find out what happened to the good-natured, talented and loving husband, son and brother, Stephen Conway.
While touring the battlefields, Patrick meets Claire, an English woman on holidays, at the Menin Gate. They strike up a close friendship and promise to keep in touch after going their separate ways. Patrick travels to London, where he is given the run-around by the BBC bureaucrats. In frustration he occupies his time by searching for further information about his ancestor, enlisting Claire’s help and also her affections along the way. Their inquiries take them on a search for Miss Georgina Rickson, who sent Stephen’s diary to Richard Conway in the 1960s. If she is still alive, she may be able to tell them if Stephen survived the war, and what happened to him afterwards.
Patrick’s investigations lead him to unearth some seriously unsavoury aspects of the underbelly of war. His grandfather’s time at Netley psychiatric hospital reveals how maligned and mistreated were the victims of shell shock. It then leads to an examination of the horrific practice of executing soldiers who are adjudged to be cowards, because of their mental anguish. I found this section of the book quite distressing to read. The arrogance and insensitivity of the British high command, from the likes of Kitchener, Winston Churchill and the generals, right down to the colonels and majors in command of troops was truly shocking to read about. All of these men, lauded as war heroes by the jingoist media of the day, have the blood of thousands and thousands of innocent, decent young men and women on their hands. Terrible…may their bastard souls rot in Hell for ever.
As their personal relationship intensifies, Patrick and Claire work diligently to track down Georgina Rickson, and ultimately, after many set-backs they take possession of a journal which explains once and for all what happened to Stephen. It is a bitter-sweet story, no doubt typical of many of the sad personal outcomes of that terrible conflict known as World War 1.
We now know about post-traumatic stress disorder, and treat sufferers with the dignity they deserve. I think Australians nowadays have a healthy scepticism about the incompetence of the British high command, which needlessly sent so many bright young men to a bloody death. Yeldham's book is not a gem of exquisite prose, but it is a very good account of a murky aspect of war, something that was swept under the carpet for decades. I've given it 5 stars because it exposes and examines an aspect of military history, in particular ANZAC history, that is not well known. Everything I have read written by Yeldham has been well-written, thoroughly researched and ultimately very satisfying. I commend him to Australian readers.
September 21, 2021
Right from the first chapter of Barbed Wire and Roses I was invested in the story. It's 1914 and two young Aussie boys, Stephen and Bluey, each aged nineteen, meet in the enlistment queue for the war. They're excited, not just about doing their duty for their country but, about the chance to travel overseas and see something of the world. Whilst I got caught up in their enthusiasm, as a reader with the benefit of hindsight I couldn't forget that WWI - war in general - was not something to be excited about. Stephen and Bluey each found this out the hard way.
The story unfolded in two distinct era's with two separate male protagonist. The first was Stephen back in the war era and the other was his grandson Patrick, an adult in the 21st century.
Following the death of his own father, Patrick uncovered a letter and journal that cast doubts upon the story the family had always believed, that Stephen had been killed in action. Filled with intrigue Patrick decided to investigate whilst on a business trip to the U.K. Not only did he get caught up in his research and what he found out but he met and fell for someone. Whilst Patrick and Stephen were both very likeable characters they were both unfaithful to their wives. I was a bit disgruntled by how normal this was made to seem by the author yet in the context of each of their stories I could almost understand their infidelity.
There was lots going on in both timelines to keep my interest. The war was hard. Beyond hard and I can hardly imagine how the survivors managed to go on with their lives at wars end.. The book served to reinforce in my mind the futility of war, the exorbitant and unnecessary loss of lives. The high personal cost for all those who fought.
This book was read for my in person book club and was one I am pleased to have picked up as its not one I'd have chosen otherwise.
The story unfolded in two distinct era's with two separate male protagonist. The first was Stephen back in the war era and the other was his grandson Patrick, an adult in the 21st century.
Following the death of his own father, Patrick uncovered a letter and journal that cast doubts upon the story the family had always believed, that Stephen had been killed in action. Filled with intrigue Patrick decided to investigate whilst on a business trip to the U.K. Not only did he get caught up in his research and what he found out but he met and fell for someone. Whilst Patrick and Stephen were both very likeable characters they were both unfaithful to their wives. I was a bit disgruntled by how normal this was made to seem by the author yet in the context of each of their stories I could almost understand their infidelity.
There was lots going on in both timelines to keep my interest. The war was hard. Beyond hard and I can hardly imagine how the survivors managed to go on with their lives at wars end.. The book served to reinforce in my mind the futility of war, the exorbitant and unnecessary loss of lives. The high personal cost for all those who fought.
This book was read for my in person book club and was one I am pleased to have picked up as its not one I'd have chosen otherwise.
May 12, 2019
My first read by this author and I’m sure my first read of a book set in World war I. This story was amazing but absolutely gut wrenching, I’ve read fictional books on wars but I’ve never read a novel that has left me shaken up as much as this one. I was a bit clueless about the Anzacs but this book has given me a history lesson I won’t soon forget.
Highly recommended
*Book #5 of the 2019 Aussie male author challenge
*Book #11/72 of my coffee table to-read pile challenge
Highly recommended
*Book #5 of the 2019 Aussie male author challenge
*Book #11/72 of my coffee table to-read pile challenge
February 9, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book. I am left feeling deeply satisfied with the resolution for all the characters that I grew to love due to the way their stories were woven. The brutal reality of what war was like on the front line and how it affected our soldiers was humbling to say the least. Stephens story on its own would have made a great read, but Peter Yeldham’s parallels between the two timelines made the novel all the more enjoyable and intricate.
March 26, 2013
This book drew me in. Peter Yeldham's characters are alive and the story held me to the end. Set in both WW1 and the present, it is the story of Stephen, a young man who joins up full of fervour and excitement at being part of an adventure that everyone thinks will be 'over by Christmas'. He marries and leaves behind his wife of three days and goes to fight in Europe. The book describes the bloody carnage of the trenches and his slow disillusionment with how the war is handled, which he records in his precious diary, and finally in a notebook. His family are advised that he has been killed, but no-one knows how.
His grandson Patrick decides to try and trace Stephen's last days and solve the mystery of his death, with the aid of the diary, which comes into his possession. As he is about to visit England for an interview, he takes extra time to go to France and visit the old battle grounds. What he slowly pieces together is an intriguing and totally absorbing tale of the facts of Stephen's life, which is not without its joy - and death. Along the way Patrick discovers many similarities between his grandfather and himself, and discovers more about himself.
The notes say this book is based on a true story and I can well believe it. I thoroughly recommend this book.
His grandson Patrick decides to try and trace Stephen's last days and solve the mystery of his death, with the aid of the diary, which comes into his possession. As he is about to visit England for an interview, he takes extra time to go to France and visit the old battle grounds. What he slowly pieces together is an intriguing and totally absorbing tale of the facts of Stephen's life, which is not without its joy - and death. Along the way Patrick discovers many similarities between his grandfather and himself, and discovers more about himself.
The notes say this book is based on a true story and I can well believe it. I thoroughly recommend this book.
October 10, 2010
Peter Yeldham is an Australian screenwriter and author. Some time ago, I bought Barbed Wire and Roses, added it to my TBR pile and promptly forgot about it. Recently, I saw he has a new book out (Glory Girls) and thought I should read his work before I go and buy another of his books.
I feel a bit bad now that I’ve had this sitting on my shelves for so long. It’s a great book and if I was looking for similarities, I say he’s like Bryce Courtenay in telling a good Aussie story (but his books are not as thick as Courtenay’s- good for bedtime reading)!
Barbed Wire and Roses is not a romantic novel, as you might think from the title (it does have romance, but that’s certainly not the focus). It tells the story of Stephen Conway, who eagerly volunteered to join the army in 1914, fought in Gallipoli and France and then died at the end of the war. Or so that’s what his family thinks. Patrick, his grandson, goes to France to retrace his grandfather’s footsteps on the way to a meeting with the BBC in London but there’s a lot more to this than first thought. Enter diaries, misplaced letters, a gold digging granddaughter and a romance- you’ll find Stephen’s plight a lot more than first thought.
This book enters into topics that are generally not told in war stories (or skimmed over)- I found some of the treatments and outcomes truly awful. Stephen is portrayed well as a character, but Joanna (Patrick’s wife) is a hastily sketched caricature and it’s hard to care what she thinks or what happens to her. Patrick’s romance wasn’t really necessary to the story, but I can understand why it was there to draw parallels.
I’m eagerly awaiting Glory Girls on my bookshop shelves now!
I feel a bit bad now that I’ve had this sitting on my shelves for so long. It’s a great book and if I was looking for similarities, I say he’s like Bryce Courtenay in telling a good Aussie story (but his books are not as thick as Courtenay’s- good for bedtime reading)!
Barbed Wire and Roses is not a romantic novel, as you might think from the title (it does have romance, but that’s certainly not the focus). It tells the story of Stephen Conway, who eagerly volunteered to join the army in 1914, fought in Gallipoli and France and then died at the end of the war. Or so that’s what his family thinks. Patrick, his grandson, goes to France to retrace his grandfather’s footsteps on the way to a meeting with the BBC in London but there’s a lot more to this than first thought. Enter diaries, misplaced letters, a gold digging granddaughter and a romance- you’ll find Stephen’s plight a lot more than first thought.
This book enters into topics that are generally not told in war stories (or skimmed over)- I found some of the treatments and outcomes truly awful. Stephen is portrayed well as a character, but Joanna (Patrick’s wife) is a hastily sketched caricature and it’s hard to care what she thinks or what happens to her. Patrick’s romance wasn’t really necessary to the story, but I can understand why it was there to draw parallels.
I’m eagerly awaiting Glory Girls on my bookshop shelves now!
July 7, 2015
Found this book in the $2 bin at a charity shop; great condition and I knew the author mainly for his screen writing fame. Well worth my modest outlay. Peter Yeldham has a genuine sense of telling a story and keeping his reader wanting to know what happened next. The facts around World War 1 are generally known but Yeldham delves deeper into the mind of young Australian Stephen Conway and the invention of his diaries brings the horrors to life. I had to Google some of the historical references especially the execution of so many innocent, often war ravaged men ( Shot At Dawn website) Such utter inhumanity. Australia refused to ever use capital punishment on its troops particularly because they were all volunteers. The way he goes from World War 1 to the modern day ( 2000 and Sydney Olympics) makes this a very easy book to read. Heartbreaking in many parts especially his sensitive treatment of Stephen's young wife left to weep and wonder in Australia.
May 8, 2015
This novel was hard for me to rate. Like someone else said, I was very impressed with the description of the conditions and horror of the First World War but had some difficulty with the modern day love story, However, in the end, the mystery of the whole won out and I just had to give this novel 4 stars. There was a section some two thirds of the way in where I was doubting whether I really liked the novel but I must say I recovered from that.
May 20, 2009
I'm learning so much about the waste war has been on our world...this one concentrates on one person in WW1 espially our ANZACS (hey, I'm an Aussie) and these poor blokes thought it'd all be over within a year......they had no idea what was ahead for them. - intense reading -
June 10, 2017
I was a bit torn on what rating to give this book. I settled on 4 stars for a number of reasons. Firstly the research that must have gone into this book. The topic would have been hard to research given the lack of information about the topic of shell shock (now known as Post traumatic stress disorder) back in the day. The book is clearly well researched and offers an honest account of the way mental illness was treated during WW1.
The second thing that impressed me was the author's treatment of Stephen. Stephen survives the loss of everyone around him as he watched one mate after another die. We follow his spiral into mental illness and you can clearly see the turning points where he unravels.
I didn't find the story of Patrick (Stephen's grandson) as engaging. He finds the diary that starts him on the quest to find out what happens. That story fell flat a bit.
It is a good tale and I would recommend it.
The second thing that impressed me was the author's treatment of Stephen. Stephen survives the loss of everyone around him as he watched one mate after another die. We follow his spiral into mental illness and you can clearly see the turning points where he unravels.
I didn't find the story of Patrick (Stephen's grandson) as engaging. He finds the diary that starts him on the quest to find out what happens. That story fell flat a bit.
It is a good tale and I would recommend it.
October 10, 2021
I absolutely loved this book. I stayed awake at night just to finish another couple of chapters. It was truly absorbing , emotional, secretive, heartbreaking sad and happy. There are no excuses for the cruelty that occurred to so many soldiers ,sailors, pilots etc. Whilst the people on the ground were giving orders they sat and celebrated etc. I often wonder what cost we put on a human life? I felt relieved that the grandson found the true story and was able to piece together what happened and why. So many would've stopped at the first hurdle. Great book haven't read one of your books before however I will be looking out for them now
July 27, 2021
I have read a number of this author's books and enjoyed each one, but this one in particular. The story flows and you want to know what happens next - a page turner and a good yarn. I enjoyed the construction of the story and how each scene flows into the next seamlessly.
A loss of sleep book that you do not wish to put down.
A loss of sleep book that you do not wish to put down.
August 31, 2025
I loved this story---the history part (WWl) was informative and I liked that my home town of Walgett/Lightning Ridge got a mention---and there was enough romance and enjoyable writing to keep me happy.
8.5/10
8.5/10
April 7, 2020
Very moving, great read
October 26, 2022
Very good. Educational of the horrors of war.
June 10, 2016
After his father's death, Patrick finds his grandfather's war diary from WWI. Family lore is that his grandfather, Stephen, was one of many who died and disappeared into the soil of No Man's Land during the final months of the war on the Western Front.
Curious to learn more, Patrick sets out for France to retrace his grandfather's footsteps, in the hope of locating a final resting place. As he does so, Patrick begins to uncover a secret kept hidden for almost 90 years. Did Stephen really die on the battlefield as family lore would have him believe, or was his fate a little more sinister, and unsettling?
An interesting novel told primarily from the perspectives of Stephen during WWI, and Patrick during his search for the truth some 90 years later.
I expected the writing to be of a greater calibre than what it was, given the author's "pedigree", and the fact that this novel was published by Penguin Australia. However, I was surprised at its simplicity, the lack of detail in many respects, and the annoying overuse of clichés. The story held my attention enough to ensure I saw it through to the end, and there was the odd hint of Yeldham's brilliance, but overall I was a little disappointed. I can't help but feel this novel could have been so much better.
Curious to learn more, Patrick sets out for France to retrace his grandfather's footsteps, in the hope of locating a final resting place. As he does so, Patrick begins to uncover a secret kept hidden for almost 90 years. Did Stephen really die on the battlefield as family lore would have him believe, or was his fate a little more sinister, and unsettling?
An interesting novel told primarily from the perspectives of Stephen during WWI, and Patrick during his search for the truth some 90 years later.
I expected the writing to be of a greater calibre than what it was, given the author's "pedigree", and the fact that this novel was published by Penguin Australia. However, I was surprised at its simplicity, the lack of detail in many respects, and the annoying overuse of clichés. The story held my attention enough to ensure I saw it through to the end, and there was the odd hint of Yeldham's brilliance, but overall I was a little disappointed. I can't help but feel this novel could have been so much better.
August 28, 2012
I loved The things we Cherished by Pam Jenoff and while I was reading the reviews for that book a Goodreads member said if you were looking for a good WW1 saga then read Barbed Wire and Roses. I searched high and low for this book - turns out it's an Australian author and only available over there. Called Kylee and she sent it to me! (Thank you sweetie!)
I loved this book. I thought the love story was beautiful. I read the accounts of the war in horror! I'm so glad I tracked this book down and yet another reason to love Goodreads, never would've found this book if it wasn't for that member's recommendation!
I just have to add my favorite line from the book:
"I kept his own notebook and this, my precious memories of our life together. Dear Stephen, I miss you so much. If I restored your life, you utterly transformed and enriched mine."
I loved this book. I thought the love story was beautiful. I read the accounts of the war in horror! I'm so glad I tracked this book down and yet another reason to love Goodreads, never would've found this book if it wasn't for that member's recommendation!
I just have to add my favorite line from the book:
"I kept his own notebook and this, my precious memories of our life together. Dear Stephen, I miss you so much. If I restored your life, you utterly transformed and enriched mine."
October 10, 2014
This is the second time I have read this book and it was thoroughly enjoyed again. By the way, I normally dislike war novels, but this one, just affects me.
My book club all agreed it was a great book and it had all of us thinking deeply about how war affected the soldiers and their families. It makes you realise just how horrifying and futile the war was (in this case Australians in WW1) , and makes you want to find out more. There are some WTF moments, it's hard to believe, a young man can volunteer and then be treated so badly, that all his heroic past can no longer matter. And it leaves you wanting more for this man, all the way through, did happiness elude him or did he make it home?
My book club all agreed it was a great book and it had all of us thinking deeply about how war affected the soldiers and their families. It makes you realise just how horrifying and futile the war was (in this case Australians in WW1) , and makes you want to find out more. There are some WTF moments, it's hard to believe, a young man can volunteer and then be treated so badly, that all his heroic past can no longer matter. And it leaves you wanting more for this man, all the way through, did happiness elude him or did he make it home?
May 21, 2016
The title is a bit misleading because it suggests a wartime romance and it's not.
It's a good historical fiction with a dual timeline (WW1/2000) about the wartime experience (and trauma) of a young Australian soldier from the early months of the war to its aftermath.
It can be a very good introduction for people who want to know more about Australia during WW1 and/or shell-shocked soldiers, with interesting references to the 1917 mutinies. The only faults are a bad editing regarding some of the French sentences supposedly spoken by natives (I don't know why French keeps being as tortured as it is in a lot of books ;) ). Otherwise, the writing is OK and the plot is solid, with three-dimensional flawed and very human characters.
It's a good historical fiction with a dual timeline (WW1/2000) about the wartime experience (and trauma) of a young Australian soldier from the early months of the war to its aftermath.
It can be a very good introduction for people who want to know more about Australia during WW1 and/or shell-shocked soldiers, with interesting references to the 1917 mutinies. The only faults are a bad editing regarding some of the French sentences supposedly spoken by natives (I don't know why French keeps being as tortured as it is in a lot of books ;) ). Otherwise, the writing is OK and the plot is solid, with three-dimensional flawed and very human characters.
April 4, 2011
This is the first book of Peter Yeldham that I have read and I'm going out to pick up a few more of his books.
This story follows Australian Stephen Conway when he leaves school, his bride of 3 days and leaves to fight in World War I. His family believes he was killed in action but when a diary written by Stephen is found by his grandson Patrick and he starts to investigate the truth.
During this journey of finding more about his grandfather, Patrick finds more about himself and his family.
Peter writes a great story and even better characters.
This story follows Australian Stephen Conway when he leaves school, his bride of 3 days and leaves to fight in World War I. His family believes he was killed in action but when a diary written by Stephen is found by his grandson Patrick and he starts to investigate the truth.
During this journey of finding more about his grandfather, Patrick finds more about himself and his family.
Peter writes a great story and even better characters.
February 27, 2018
The historical aspect of this novel was fascinating if a little confronting, however the addition of the present day love story ruined this for me. It felt tacky and badly planned. I felt this story should have spent more time focusing on the past and the uncovering of the story and less about weaving in a tasteless love tale, which, at times, seemed to overpower the lessons of the past, which are a far more important story to deal with.
April 1, 2015
There were some intriguing aspects to the plot. The choice to centre the story on a character whose war ends in such an expected way makes for a novel turn to the well-worn territory of the First World War. The love story was less plausible and the writing style fairly pedestrian with a modern turn of phrase which jarred when detailing the WWI part of the story. An OK read but I am unlikely to read another by Yeldham
February 19, 2014
I seem to have been reading books that take place during WWI lately and the sheer horror of what the soldiers endured (not that any other war was ok or good on any level) just stops you in your tracks. Too many examples to list. I really liked the interlocking stories and the mystery aspect as a grandson tries to determine what happened to his grandfather believed to have died in battle.
February 26, 2016
This was a Book Discussion group book. I wouldn't normally read a WWI story. I found the character portrayal a bit thin. Especially interaction with women. The war and fighting and anger and frustration were better expressed. The unraveling mystery of what happened to Stephen's grandfather certainly keeps you reading.
January 20, 2009
This book was very compelling and moving. I couldn't put it down. Brilliantly written. This is a must read for anyone who likes historical novels. This will be of particular interest to New Zealand and Australian readers as it deals with a war the ANZACs fought in.
April 18, 2016
Really enjoyed the wartime story - pulls no punches about the reality of shell-shock and the incompetence and arrogance of the officer class of the time. The modern day story - not so much. Meh. A good family history read.
January 17, 2010
A great story of an Aussie soldier in WW1 and his family's search for the truth.
Hard to put down.
Hard to put down.
Read
August 6, 2011A great way to uncover an old story. Being a mystery, I was as anxious to find out what happened as the character searching for the truth. It made for some late night reading!
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