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Tag: a man, a woman, and the war to end all wars
As a lad in the high country of eastern Victoria, Tag Wardell shows an extraordinary gift with he is followed to school by his pets; his rapport with his horse, Dimble, becomes the talk of the district; and he even manages to befriend a mob of brumbies during an adventure with his schoolmates in the Dargo high plains.
Later, when he becomes a blacksmith, locals come to watch him at work, amazed at his ability to calm the meanest of nags. But 1914 brings war, and the government’s patriotic fervor entices Tag and his mates to join the Light Horse Brigade.
For Tag, war begins as an adventure. On the convoy to Egypt, he is quickly singled out to help the distressed horses. Then, while on leave in Cairo, he meets Jill, a nurse, but their brief romance is cut short as Gallipoli looms. Tag’s life spirals into one of survival in the day-to-day madness of the trenches.
In the years that follow, Tag comes up against conditions that are terrible for man and beast, and he discovers the hardship and joy that come with wartime love. In the face of it all, his unique abilities bring about essential changes in the handling of horses under fire — and expose him to death and disaster.
Barry Heard, author of the bestselling Vietnam War memoir Well Done, Those Men , has here produced a deeply moving, fiercely anti-war novel that blazes with authenticity. Based on the experiences of a World War I veteran whom the author knew, it brings new insights to the Gallipoli legend and Australia’s battles on the Western Front.
Tag is unforgettable — a bush tale, a family saga, a romance, and a revelation of the human spirit’s ability to survive war’s inhumanity.
Later, when he becomes a blacksmith, locals come to watch him at work, amazed at his ability to calm the meanest of nags. But 1914 brings war, and the government’s patriotic fervor entices Tag and his mates to join the Light Horse Brigade.
For Tag, war begins as an adventure. On the convoy to Egypt, he is quickly singled out to help the distressed horses. Then, while on leave in Cairo, he meets Jill, a nurse, but their brief romance is cut short as Gallipoli looms. Tag’s life spirals into one of survival in the day-to-day madness of the trenches.
In the years that follow, Tag comes up against conditions that are terrible for man and beast, and he discovers the hardship and joy that come with wartime love. In the face of it all, his unique abilities bring about essential changes in the handling of horses under fire — and expose him to death and disaster.
Barry Heard, author of the bestselling Vietnam War memoir Well Done, Those Men , has here produced a deeply moving, fiercely anti-war novel that blazes with authenticity. Based on the experiences of a World War I veteran whom the author knew, it brings new insights to the Gallipoli legend and Australia’s battles on the Western Front.
Tag is unforgettable — a bush tale, a family saga, a romance, and a revelation of the human spirit’s ability to survive war’s inhumanity.
- GenresFiction
384 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 20, 2019
If you are a fan of historical fiction, Tag by Barry Heard is the book for you!
As someone who loves crime fiction and YA, I often find myself searching for challenging yet uplifting stories that can give me a break from the macabre world of crime and the romanticised world of YA literature.
What I particularly enjoyed about Heard’s writing was his attention to detail, especially when it came to the Australian bush and the harshness of the trenches on the Western Front. His description of these settings allowed you to escape into these places and experience the isolation of living in the bush, as well as being given the opportunity to empathise with the life of a soldier during the Great War.
In terms of character, I felt that Heard was able to capture the experiences of a variety of people at the turn of the century, and provide the reader with an insight into a vastly different world to our own. In all honesty, I appreciated Heard’s focus on the experiences of the nurses (especially Jill) during this time, as it is an area of the war that I feel is undervalued.
Though it is a long story, I feel that it moves along at a steady pace, and gives you the opportunity to invest fully in the characters and their lives within the text.
As someone who loves crime fiction and YA, I often find myself searching for challenging yet uplifting stories that can give me a break from the macabre world of crime and the romanticised world of YA literature.
What I particularly enjoyed about Heard’s writing was his attention to detail, especially when it came to the Australian bush and the harshness of the trenches on the Western Front. His description of these settings allowed you to escape into these places and experience the isolation of living in the bush, as well as being given the opportunity to empathise with the life of a soldier during the Great War.
In terms of character, I felt that Heard was able to capture the experiences of a variety of people at the turn of the century, and provide the reader with an insight into a vastly different world to our own. In all honesty, I appreciated Heard’s focus on the experiences of the nurses (especially Jill) during this time, as it is an area of the war that I feel is undervalued.
Though it is a long story, I feel that it moves along at a steady pace, and gives you the opportunity to invest fully in the characters and their lives within the text.
August 13, 2018
This narrative didn't work for me. The author had clearly done heaps of research but it felt like everything he had learnt was shoe horned into the book. The story would have been better told by one of the protagonists in the first person. The sex scenes are just toe curling. Disappointed.
March 25, 2017
Excellent read about World War 1
July 8, 2018
Very descriptive regarding veterans’ mental health following the horrors of war. A good historical read.
November 27, 2025
A bit slow to start, but once I’d fought through the first 150ish pages, I loved the rest of it! I maybe cried a little at the last chapter. Maybe
September 22, 2012
This is a novel based largely on a member of the author's family. World War 1 was,like all wars, horrible, but Barry Heard writes with passion, humour, and joy about a group of mates, and the horses, that engaged in this bitter conflict. He is a great story teller, and plays on the emotions of the reader most effectively.
July 21, 2011
In Keeping with all Barry' books. A really good read.
March 9, 2015
A must read for all Aussies, beautifully written, the characters came alive and the connection to the life of horses in war was unbelievable.
September 25, 2015
So powerful.
Read
September 25, 2018The book is a bush tale, a family saga, a romance, and a war epic — simply but powerfully told.
Armidale Express
This is a poignant, anti-war story which pulls no punches, describing the shellshock and depression which was the legacy of many World War I veterans, including the valiant nurses.
Courier Mail
Heard made me forget that Tag was a novel. With all its mayhem, madness, appalling carnage and war time love, I felt like I was in the trenches of Gallipoli and the Western Front with Tag, Tiger, Bucket and Golly. Heard brings the reader to a deeper level of understanding of the exceptional work our diggers did under a great deal of stress, both physically and emotionally.
Gordon Trail, Peacekeepers Association
Armidale Express
This is a poignant, anti-war story which pulls no punches, describing the shellshock and depression which was the legacy of many World War I veterans, including the valiant nurses.
Courier Mail
Heard made me forget that Tag was a novel. With all its mayhem, madness, appalling carnage and war time love, I felt like I was in the trenches of Gallipoli and the Western Front with Tag, Tiger, Bucket and Golly. Heard brings the reader to a deeper level of understanding of the exceptional work our diggers did under a great deal of stress, both physically and emotionally.
Gordon Trail, Peacekeepers Association
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews