Fromelles and Pozières: In The Trenches Of Hell

by Peter FitzSimons

On 19 July 1916, 7000 Australian soldiers—in the first major action of the AIF on the Western Front—attacked entrenched German positions at Fromelles, in northern France. By the next day, no fewer than 5500 were wounded and just under 1900 were dead—a bloodbath that the Australian War Memorial describes as ‘the worst 24 hours in Australia's entire history'.

Just days later, three Australian Divisions attacked German positions at nearby Pozières, and over the next six weeks they suffered another 23,000 casualties. Of that bitter battle, the great Australian war correspondent Charles Bean would write, ‘The field of Pozières is more consecrated by Australian fighting and more hallowed by Australian blood than any field which has ever existed . . .'

Yet the sad truth is that, nearly a century on from those battles, Australians know only a fraction of what occurred. This book brings the battles back to life and puts the reader in the moment, illustrating both the heroism displayed and the insanity of the British plan. With his extraordinary vigour and commitment to research, Peter FitzSimons shows why this is a story about which all Australians can be proud. And angry.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, World War I, Military History, Australia, Historical

816 pages, Hardcover

First published November 2, 2015

About the author

Peter FitzSimons is one of Australia’s most prominent and successful media and publishing identities. His busy professional life involves co-hosting the breakfast program on Sydney's Radio 2UE, writing weekly columns for the Sydney Morning Herald and Sun Herald newspapers, appearing on Foxtel's Back Page television show and, when time permits, authoring best-selling books. A correspondent for London's Daily Telegraph as well, he is also in high demand as a guest speaker and presenter

Reviews

[Geoff Wooldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few works by popular Australian historian and journalist Peter Fitzsimons, and he prefers a kind of personal, story-telling approach to writing about historical events and famous people.

His account of the World War I battles at Fromelles and Pozieres in France, where British and Australian (mostly) troops faced the deeply entrenched German army in the months leading up to the final battle in July 1916, is fairly typical of his approach to war history in particular.

His material is meticulously researched and presented in a easy-going tone, using plenty of the vernacular of the times, and including the personal stories of ordinary blokes, valiant volunteers simply doing their best, as well as describing the 'official' war from the perspective of the various Generals and other commanding officers.

Make no mistake - these were very bloody battles with extremely high casualty rates on both sides. Hundreds of thousands of Allied and German soldiers expended their lives in perilous trenches under almost continuous artillery bombardment and machine gun and rifle fire, all for the sake of a few metres of muddy, churned up French soil.

Reading Fitzsimon's account, although at times it seemed somewhat repetitious, just like the daily grind faced by these heroic men, makes the reader feel like part of the action, and it's not pleasant at all.

Fitzsimons (like others before him) is scathing about the wilful disregard for human life displayed repeatedly by Generals who were driven by massive egos and outdated military strategies, and should rightly go down in history as 'butchers' or murderers.

There are numerous examples of the bravery and selflessness of soldiers who persisted against the odds, knowing that their eventual death was almost inevitable, but were nevertheless prepared to follow orders, even the senseless ones, for a cause they genuinely believed in.

Many of the the soldiers who survived, who were not ultimately blown into small pieces by massive artillery shells, or ripped asunder by a hail of machine gun bullets, or simply wounded and evacuated to aid stations, went mad due to shell shock. Many survivors committed suicide after the war because they could not cope with what was in their heads.

I cannot imagine having to curl up in a foetal position in the bottom of a cold muddy trench, surround by the stinking, rotting dead bodies of your mates for literally days on end as high explosive shells rained down all around, knowing that a direct hit would atomise your body.

It was the same in the German trenches, although, having been established longer, they did have some more substantial bunkers.

I've read quite a bit of war history, both WWI and WWII, and nothing quite matches the horror of the trenches in France in the mid and latter stages of the Great War.

Fitzsimons has done a pretty good job in bringing that history to life for those not so familiar with the story. The statistics of munitions and human destruction are horrific to ponder, but not a patch on what it must have been like to be there in the thick of it.

The Gallipoli blokes reckon that campaign was a picnic compared to France.

In any case, war is hell and, as a human race, we have learnt fucking nothing!!!

[T. Stranger · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptionally written account of the tragedy and heartbreak felt at the battles of the Somme, Fromelles and Pozieres. FitzSimons once again captures the intensity of emotion and the rawness of battle as our Diggers fought so valiantly to defend freedom. Having now read the accounts of so many soldiers in the trenches of hell, I feel the words inscribed upon the Australian War Memorial more poignantly. These words read, "Cheerio and keep smiling though your hearts are breaking." I can only bow my head in reverence, knowing that my life and good fortune is cultivated by those - willingly or not - who bled and died on foreign soil marred by innumerable blundstones. These heroes looked the Grim Reaper in the eyes, and He looked away first.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

No book is ever going to be without a touch of the author’s biases. Calm down, if you don’t like him don’t read it. In my opinion, he has brought Australian history to the masses better than any other writer. He isn’t a historian, but as someone with a history degree I wouldn’t want to read more dry academic stuff in my free time. Just because something has commercial appeal it doesn’t mean it isn’t good or informative. Anyway, another touching and inspirational book by Fitzsimons.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in the lead up to ANZAC Day. It is an interesting style of writing in that it is detailed enough to be a traditional military history, but not the language, which involves more personal accounts. I can understand why it has received mixed reviews.

From my perspective, I found some stretches long and too detailed to hold my attention but the book gave me a lot of information about a battle I didn’t really understand. Some sections did make me very angry about poor decisions generals made costing thousands of Australian lives. What a tragedy :-(.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. I can't believe they don't teach this properly in Australian schools. I had heard about Fromelles here and there but this was the first time I had read anything in detail about the battles. To the author's point, so much of Australia's memory is devoted to Gallipoli (which should be remembered) but there is so much more to our military history than that.

The incompetence of the British leadership which led thousands of Australians to their deaths on foreign soil truly does enrage me. I have stood at the site of the Pozieres windmill and visited some of the memorial sites scattered throughout the Somme. Some of these sites rest in the most idyllic countryside I've ever seen, a stark juxtaposition to the endless grave sites and deep sorrow I experienced the entire time I was there. My only regret is having read this book after visting France - this is pre-requisite reading if you're visiting the Somme.

At times this book made me cry. One of the stories that had quite impact on me was when McCay wouldn't allow the men to participate in a truce with the Germans. A truce which would have allowed them to save their mates who they could see and hear dying in No Man's Land. This goes against so many Australian values especially that of mateship. To survive through pure hell and to then be tortured with the inability to save your mates...what an absolute disgrace.

Although the larrikin spirit of the Australians was, at times, misunderstood by the British, this is what ultimately led to so many of Australia's greatest military successes. The disagreement between the Hughes government and Haig to allow an Australian general to lead the Australian and Kiwis also seems somewhat bizarre. To add further salt to the wound, not only could we not lead our own army, this was Haig's 'high' opinion of us: 'Australian soldiers fall short of what is necessary for an Army, and that it would therefore disarrange our plans to treat them as such...' That's outrageous!

The French President at the time Clemenceau could at least recognise the Aussies for the heroes they were: 'we knew you would fight a real fight, but we did not know that from the very beginning you would astonish the whole continent with your valour. I have come here for the simple purpose of seeing the Australians and telling them this..."I have seen the Australians. I have looked into their eyes. I know that they, men who have fought great battles in the cause of freedom, will fight on alongside us, till the freedom for which we are all fighting is guaranteed for us and our children."'

I hope that all of our ANZACs know how proud we are of their sacrifice. Those who gave their lives did so for our freedom and the freedom of a truly beautiful people and nation. I hope they know that still to this day the French are forever grateful to the Australians who fought so valiantly around their land.

I am so glad to have read this book and I'm proud to be Australian. I am forever grateful to each and every Australian soldier for your sacrifice. Your courage at Fromelles and Pozieres in a battle where the odds were stacked up against you will never be forgotten. Lest We Forget.

[Gary Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

This makes the round dozen of FitzSimons books I have read, to be added to hundreds of his newspaper columns. It is interesting to follow his transformation as a writer from fairly straightforward sports biographies (of fellow Rugby Internationals Eales and Farr-Jones) through family autobiography, (A Simpler Time) to his current status as writer of "Christmas Gift Tomes" of iconic Australian History in a form digestible by the ordinary Aussie reader Batavia, Eureka, Gallipoli and this one).
He does an excellent job of digesting straight historical works and original resources like letters, diaries and unpublished thus producing stories that teach without being pedantic - I would say learning with tears about our past except for the subject matter of this latest book. He finishes with a quote from Paul Keating at the Funeral Service of the Unknown Soldier on 11/11/1993
He is all of them And he is one of us ...
Vale to him, and to his lost generation.
I weep.
With rage, too"
Referring to the rage. Fitzsimons"s Republican credentials are impecable - he is the Chair of the Australian Republican Movement but there is no doubt that he is also genuinely reflecting the anger of the Australian survivors of The Great War in Europe at the way that they were lead by the British Generals, the "Butcher's Bill" that was paid to settle this European conflict and lastly the lack of recognition for the role that this new nation played. Australian troops had a higher rate of casualties per deployment of any Allied nation and the few months in the trenches of France covered by this book make this a bloody book indeed. I am struck by the fact that both sides of this conflict made choices about how it would be resolved and not only rejected diplomacy but chose a massive war of attrition using the worst weapons of mass destruction then available - High explosives delivered by heavy artillery and machine guns capable of killing ground troops in unbelievable numbers. Society at that time seemed to have no way of saying STOP.
Since Hiroshima we do seem to have made some ground in stopping the mass killing of armed forces but civilians?

[Vicki Caton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an eye opener, can't believe how little the Brittish Generals and Commanders thought of the Australian Soliders even to the extreme that they weren't aloud a call a truce with the Germans to collect their wounded from No Man Land but the English were.

[Len Hetherington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished another of Peter FitzSimons WW1 books, this time its, "Fromelles and Pozieres: In the Trenches of Hell". This is a searing indictment of the British high command responsible for the senseless slaughter of thousands of Australian soldiers during World War I. While German weapons caused physical destruction, FitzSimons uses his in-depth research, literary skills, and personal stories of those who were there to eviscerate the reputations of British generals like Haigh, Haking, and Gough. Their disastrous decisions, incompetence, and subsequent promotions instead of accountability are critically examined.

His strength lies in the detailed battle descriptions, providing vivid depictions of chaotic combat that offer a visceral understanding of the horrors faced by the soldiers. FitzSimons critiques the command decisions, exposing the strategic blunders and flawed tactics of higher-ranking officers, highlighting the disconnect between their decisions and frontline realities. The battles are placed within the broader context of World War I, explaining their significance and the political and military dynamics at play. Most importantly, the book honors the memory of the fallen Australian soldiers, emphasizing the importance of remembrance.

While FitzSimons' previous book, "Victory at Villers-Bretonneux," was a cracker, this one feels like a repeat—different battles but the same issues. Nonetheless, both books aim to correct the record and give our brave Australians the credit they are entitled to. FitzSimons’ work is a powerful testament to the courage and resilience of the soldiers and a call for a retrospective, unconditional, and public apology from the institutions those officers represented.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Fitzsimons' latest publication is a gruesome account of the two Western Front battles which were the definitive experiences for Australian troops in 1916 and far exceeded the horrors of 1915's Gallipoli.

On 9 March 2016, in a talk at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, the author emphasised that he exhorted his team of researchers to find every possible bit of evidence which would show, not tell, what it was like to be in those trenches. My grandmother’s two brothers, one in the Australian artillery, the other a Field Ambulance doctor with the British army, somehow survived 1916. But, in their gentlemanly way, they often glossed over the ‘showing’ bit in an amazing set of wartime letters they wrote and which I’ve recently published. Curious to know more, I bought a copy of the Fitzsimons book.

It was worth reading, although frequently irritating. Fitzsimons seemed to imagine himself there, bursting with over-the-top blokiness. He gave a day by day account of developments, with the Australian war correspondent Charles Bean clearly his personal hero and guiding light. Inclusion of German archival material added interest. Fitzsimons follows individual soldiers so that we engage with them emotionally but it’s often hard to keep track of so many characters and so many vignettes. It was disappointing that, as usual, the focus was almost exclusively on the exploits and experiences of various infantry units. The overall role of the artillery in that appalling war was frequently mentioned but not the individuals in the artillery units. The book’s military unit jargon, its relentless blood & gore and the 'rah rah, Aussies' content so beloved of a vehemently-Republican author, became so overwhelming that, when I reached the end of the 689 pages of text, I needed to deconstruct it.

The first 272 pages traverse the first six months of 1916. After the Australian troops were evacuated from Gallipoli (in December 1915) they were regrouped, reinforced and ‘prepared’ for service on the Western Front. Lost within the book’s myriad details is their underlying structure. This is important to understand, as Fitzsimons spends much of the book castigating senior military leaders. To summarise, Australian forces in 1916 were organised as two armies:

• 1 Anzac Corps, commanded by the English General Sir William Birdwood, comprising the experienced Gallipoli veterans of the 1st Division (led by Englishman General Harold Walker) and 2nd Division (led by Australian General James Legge).
• 2 Anzac Corps commanded by another Englishman, General Alexander Godley, comprising the newly-formed 4th Division (led by Englishman Major-General Sir Herbert Cox) and 5th Division (led by Australian Major-General Sir James McCay).

(The Australian Brigadier-General John Monash’s new 3rd Division did not arrive in France until November 1916, long after the battles at Fromelles and Pozières.)

The two Australian armies were under the overall control of British High Command, the infamous British General Sir Douglas Haig and his various underlings. Their gross failures make me glad not to be a descendant of any of them. Too much blood on their hands.

On their arrival in France (from late March 1916 onwards) the Anzac forces were posted to the so-called ‘nursery sector’ near Fromelles in Flanders where both sides were supposedly just holding their lines. Meanwhile, the Battle of the Somme further south was being planned. It commenced on 1 July and right from the start did not go well. Extra troops were needed. The experienced Australians of the 1st and 2nd Divisions and those in the newly-formed 4th Division were moved down to the Somme, leaving the newly-arrived 5th Division to take their place near Fromelles, around 11 July.

The next 230+ pages cover the debacle of 24 hours at Fromelles on 19 & 20 July 1916. I reached the end of that single night and day feeling as angry as the author. The role played by Haig’s underling, the British Lieut-General Sir Richard Haking, in sending the raw recruits of the 5th Division on his ill-judged mission to inevitable slaughter was criminal, even worse than the orders given at Gallipoli. McCay, the Australian in charge of the 5th Division, was equally despicable for not permitting the truce offered by the Germans so that his desperately-injured men could be retrieved from No Man's Land.

Now for the Somme, where Haig's underling General Hubert Gough was calling the shots at Pozières. Frequently I found myself comparing the Fitzsimons account with that of my great uncle Stephen Boulton, whose letters show that Australia’s six week involvement in the Pozières campaign began the day after the Fromelles slaughter. His 1st Division artillery unit began bombarding the German troops at Pozières at 10pm on 20 July. The Australian infantry’s brilliant success in capturing the village of Pozières is quietly confirmed when Stephen’s letter of 23 July is headed ‘in a German trench’.

The author built good tension into this part of his story, with the Australian troops eventually winning possession of the Pozières windmill. The highest ground for miles, it ‘marks a ridge more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth’. (Fitzsimons, p 661, quoting Bean.) One Australian on this battleground accused the British Generals of murder and blamed the extreme level of casualties on ‘the incompetence, callousness and personal vanity of those high in authority’. (Fitzsimons, p 614.) Pozières was a huge strategic win for the Allies in 1916 and I wonder why so few Australians have even heard about this great victory. It seems that we prefer to celebrate our military failures. Even in Fitzsimons’ massive tome the six weeks at Pozières warranted only 150 pages. Perhaps the author and his researchers preferred to mine the voluminous literature already published about the 24 hours at Fromelles.

In his Epilogue of 30+ pages, Fitzsimons reviews the fate of various officers and men featured in the story. Needless to say, most of the ‘bad guys’ were honoured and most of the ‘good guys’ suffered.

Fitzsimons’ writing is active but needed much more structuring and high-level editing to tell his story more succinctly. Then more Australians might learn what even General Haig admitted (Fitzsimons, p 597), that 'the capture of Pozières by the Australians would live in history.'

[David Holford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book immensely, if “enjoy” is a word that can be used to describe entering into the horrendous experiences of the Australian Diggers on the Western Front. I read it to try to gain more understanding of the experience of my great grandfather, Charles Holdorf, a Major in the 30th Battalion of the 8th Brigade of the 2nd Australian Division. Because the 30th battalion was in the second wave to go over the top at Fromelles, and had a more supportive role than the first wave, it does not feature as prominently in the story. However, although their casualty rate was not as high as the first wave, the effects of the battle both physically and psychologically would have been intense. FitzSimons’ book, with its heavy reliance on original sources and its wonderfully woven story of real people, drawn from their diaries and letters, brought the whole thing to life for me. Histories can be boring to read, but this book is gripping and absorbing. I will be going back to it again and again in the future.

[David Vernon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intense and compelling read. Nearly 700 pages but I knocked off it within a week. At times I just wanted the book to end — which is exactly how the poor bastards involved in the battles felt. Peter FitzSimons is not an author who abstains from making his views known within the text. Some readers might find this irritating but I find it refreshing. Sometimes it's good for the fourth wall to be broken. This is a wonderfully thorough examination of the subject and the fact that Peter starts well before the arrival of the 5th Division in France assists greatly in understanding the debacle that arose at Fromelles. My only criticism of the book is that I don't think Peter gives enough recognition to his team of researchers that make these FitzSimon's book possible. They do get some acknowledgement but not nearly enough and I think this is a shame.

[Jenn Phizacklea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down, though it made me cry frequently. It was so powerfully written, well-researched, easy to read... a great, sad, angering book about the tragedy of war from all sides involved...
There were a few irritating things - minor stuff, like the slip between points of view and tenses, between paragraphs,or even sentences was very off putting at times, particularly at the beginning - but this meant nothing by the time the ‘story’ was in full swing, because the events depicted were so moving. It was like a juggernaut of doom - and it’s one of the few times writing such an overblown statement feels almost low key compared to the reality.
I strongly recommend this book.

[Jenny Kirkby · Rating 5 out of 5]

History made interesting, gobsmacking, and if it wasn't true - unbelievable. Now that I know what happened here I don't understand why it is not as familiar to Australia's national consciousness as Gallipoli. I found it a little difficult to remember/keep up with the individual stories of the men that were shared - but the index at the end has that covered if I needed to piece it back together. I feel like I understand more about the conditions of war than I did before and have nothing but admiration for the men that were there, while wanting to head-butt most of the high ranking officers in charge - that weren't.

[Eljay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I couldn't put it down and that is saying something for a book over 800 pages.

Thoroughly researched and intelligently and thoughtfully put together. This is a part of Australia's history that should never be forgotten. I read this at a time when we were researching family members who served in WW1 and it left me shocked and angered at the loss of life. I am not new to this part of Australia's history however this book tells it how it was and doesn't sugar coat anything for political correctness.

If you're not a republican after reading this I will be very surprised.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

On one hand it is amazing to hear about the Australian soldiers in Fromelles and Pozieres in WW1, and not something I knew much about. On the other hand it was such a long book and I found some sections too long to hold my attention.

Regardless of my impressions of the book. My full respect to the soldiers that endured such hell, the likes of which the rest of us will never fully comprehend. May they rest in peace, and be remembered for all time.

[Tianne Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific read with well researched and written so the normal person can easily read. I was able to enjoy and spent way too many hours reading when I should have been on other things.
You get a different aspect of the stories than many others don’t cover. This is what makes me enjoy them even more. A few recurrent names appear within and they will also have their own parts done singularly.

[Doughlas Ivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Read, but dry and sad the way the Pommy military commanders bad and arrogant behavior caused the death of so many good Aussie diggers. In today's world they would have been court-martialed for war crimes rather than being Knighted and promoted due to their British snobbish culture. It upsets me how poorly the British treat us Aussies. If you like Australian history and the world wars than it is a good book to read since it is well researched.

[Narelle Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute must read. The level of research Peter has done is extensive. From both sides of the conflict. He doesn't shirk from the ugly or unpleasant and uses first hand accounts, letters and diaries to help give normally one dimensional historic figures personality and life.

I have learnt so much from this book. Would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

[Anthony F Irving · Rating 4 out of 5]

The truth gets told

I chose this book as I find Peter's books a good read. He certainly exposed the incompetance of the British military particularly in relation to the management and attitude towards those who they consider expendable.

[Andrew Wales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and disturbing

I love the way FitzSimons brings the story of these tragic battles to life for those of us who will, hopefully, never even get close to having to live through such times.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Another great book by Peter Fitzsimons. It takes one right into the trenches. Poignant and unforgettable. What a tribute to the heroes who went before us. Great mixture of history and personal stories. Lest we forget.

[Alice Greenup · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must read - too wordy.

[Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book gives you a pretty good insight of the horrors of war.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant and detailed. A great read and fascinating insight into the history and actions of one of the great battles of WW1.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish

[Cowgoesmoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating listen. I had to be careful though, that the anger it provked at some the stupidity and egos of those in charge stayed in the car when I got home.

[Alli_aye · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strong audio

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right from the beginning, Fitzsimons hits the nail on the head.

In his introduction to this extraordinary story of Australian heroism against incredible odds – both German opposition and the ineptitude Sir Douglas Haig and other British officers who command Australian men on the Western Front – FitzSimons says that the following tale is one that we, as Australians, should be both proud of and angry about.

That sums up the two battles, the first serious action for Australian forces on the Western Front, half a year removed from the conclusion of another campaign that we should both be proud of and angry about – Gallipoli.

Reading page after page of British generals in chateaus moving flags across a map and ordering more attacks against obviously-entrenched enemy forces was maddening. The fact that these commanding officers declined to even scope out the ground over which they were asking men to – futilely, in most cases – attack is damn near criminal, and, of course, the reputation of British GHQ wasn't exactly enhanced by these early disasters on the Western Front.


Funny, isn’t it, that when Monash took over command of the Australian forces in France and Belgium for the last six months of the war, that the diggers never lost a battle. You can only imagine what they might have achieved had the British placed Australians under Australian command earlier, rather than lump them under Haig’s watch, this man who still believed that the war could be won with frontal charges and loosing his cavalry in their wake.

Fromelles was a disaster and Pozieres was an extraordinary victory in a pyrrhic way, but both illustrated the Australian resolve – something even the Germans acknowledged on a few occasions – under even the most trying circumstances, like the fearful artillery bombardment at Pozieres, and the disastrousness of having British commanders whose minds were still fixated on Napoleonic-era tactics.

General Haig and his protégé the equally inept General Haking are not portrayed in a particularly good light in the book, and nor should they be. The way they continually threw men against well-entrenched enemy with machine guns crisscrossing No Man’s Land is tantamount to sanctioned murder. That fact was not lost on the Australian diggers, and many passages lifted from letters and diaries suggest as much. Even the generals, like ‘Pompey’ Elliott are scathing of their British superiors. For good reason, too. Elliott was clearly a great man, loved by those he commanded.

As ever with FitzSimons, the research is deep and thorough, and he’s identified enough light-hearted moments to raise the levity at least a little when the going gets tough. Some people don’t like the way he often writes using the slang of the era – switching between being a straight-up historian and a novelist – but it didn’t take away from my appreciation of his work.

Fromelles & Pozieres may not be a forensic history in the way of Antony Beevor, but I don’t always need that sort of breakdown. FitzSimons’ work moves along nicely, never lagging, which isn’t something I can always say of Beevor. And besides, the more people who understand what our men achieved, and against what odds, in those two battles in the European summer of 1916.

I’ve never understood why our nation continues to fixate on our failed World War One campaigns – Gallipoli – and forget about victories like Pozieres and, later in the war, Villers-Bretonneux and Hamel, amongst others. For that reason (quite aside from it being a good read), FitzSimons’ work deserves to be feted.

[Bettina Partridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for content. Personally, the writer's style can be a bit annoying sometimes.

[Dave Parry · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could rate it 3.5/5 I would. The history and the detailed personal accounts of the soldiers is fantastic. It doesn't shy away from revealing the horrors of war and it succeeds in creating an immersive environment for the reader. One of the best aspects of the book is its celebration of life. FitzSimons looks at multiple sides of the story and the impact the war had on Australian, German, French and British soldiers and families. The German soldiers aren't portrayed as evil, but as fellow humans caught up in a direly unfortunate situation; making it all the more tragic.

This book has a very "Aussie" feel, a characteristic that often defines the ANZACs. However there are multiple passages where FitzSimons' additions feel contrived - a stark contrast to the grittiness of the first hand accounts. These counterproductive sentiments sever the reader's connection with the first hand accounts. On many occasions I was frustrated with FitzSimons' writing style, longing for a return to the 'real' story.

There were many ups and downs throughout the book, the latter being brought on by FitzSimon's persisting desire to have the final word and force the story down the reader's throat. Unfortunately, this gives the reader more of an insight into the personality of the author rather than the subject. His research has been very thorough and is backed by a gold mine of valuable resources. Had he taken a more sensitive approach, allowing the resources to speak for themselves, the book would have a greater impact.