At the Front Line: Experiences of Australian Soldiers in World War II

by Mark Johnston

Overview

This moving book examines Australian front-line soldiers' reactions to their ordeal in World War II. Based on the letters and diaries of more than 300 soldiers, its focus is the stress they faced and how they coped with it. Johnston paints a picture of survival and surrender in the surreal conditions in which these soldiers lived and fought.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521560375
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/14/1996
Pages:	300
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.83(d)

Table of Contents

Part I. The Front Line: 1. The unnatural life at the front; 2. Experiences of fear and death; 3. Major sources of front-line stress; 4. When fear became unbearable; 5. Taking the strains of the front line; Part II. The Army Way: 6. Callous bigwigs and boredom; 7. Army muck-ups; 8. Resentment of inequality; 9. Discipline and making the most of army life; Part III. Mates: 10. A band of brothers?; Aftermath and conclusions; Appendix A: Who fought where; Appendix B: Statistical comparisons.

Editorial Reviews

"This is an extremely worthwhile study of an army..." R. Higham, Choice

"Johnston's discussion of the sources of stress on battlefields...is both scholarly and moving. It would be useful for any modern commander planning a ground war to refer to the discussion here of the incidence of psychoneurotic casualties both before, during and after battle." John McCarthy, Pacific Affairs

From the Publisher