The Ghost at the Wedding

Citation:  Walker, Shirley. The Ghost at the Wedding, Camberwell, Vic. : Viking, 2009.

Summary:  Northern New South Wales, the Clarence River region, 1914. In this fertile, rural environment and over the course of three generations the families of this area will be shaken by unimaginable losses. When the First World War began, four youths within the community enlisted. They were eager to do their part. Only one returned, maimed by the conflict. His name was Ted and he would become Jessie's (the author's mother in law) husband. Years later, during the Second World War, Jessie sees off her sons and younger brothers as they join the fight. This is a narrative that shifts between time periods and countries, contrasting between the peaceful nature of life at home and the chaos of the battlefield. It explores the effects that a war can have not just on those who take part but their families as well. Bolstered by amassed documentation such as letters, diaries and service records, Shirley Walker conveys her mother-in-law's perspective through a memoir format that '...convinces utterly, immerses the reader in the experience. Evocative, heartfelt.' - Lucy Sussex, Sunday Age

Time Period(s):  World War I and II.

External Links:

Goodreads page
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6559791-the-ghost-at-the-wedding

Radio interview with author Shirley Walker
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/shirley-walker-the-ghost-at-the-wedding/3126158

Girls' Own War Stories

Citation: Girls’ Own War Stories, Australia : Australian Broadcasting Corporation, c2011. (1 DVD)

Summary:  This fifty-five minute documentary focuses on the women of the Land Army as well as the Voluntary Aid Detachment. The absence of a significant proportion of fighting-aged men created openings within the home front that needed to be filled - namely in positions such as code breaking, working in a factory or searchlight operation. There was, however, still a need for women abroad as nurses. With this as a backdrop, Girl's Own War Stories relays the personal accounts of twelve women. It shows the challenges that they faced and the barriers that they had to struggle to overcome. Even the sensibilities and social mores of the time are taken into account and elaborated upon. Further enhancing the experience is the inclusion of archival materials. This work highlights a point in history that would set an important precedent, helping to pave the way for greater employment opportunities for women in Australia.

Time Period(s):  World War II

External Links:

ABC shop page
https://shop.abc.net.au/girls-own-war-stories-dvd

Sydney Morning Herald article
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/girls-own-war-stories-thursday-april-21-20110418-1dkvp.html

The Charles Family's War - A gripping story of twin brothers during World War II

Author: Alan Fewster

Citation:  Fewster, Alan. The Charles Family’s War - A gripping story of twin brothers during World War II, Newport, NSW : Big Sky Publishing, 2015.

Summary:  This particular novel centres on the Charles brothers - Edwin Llewellyn (the author's uncle) and Terence John during the Second World War. Utilising a collection of letters and family photos as a foundation, Alan Fewster tells the story of two men who, despite sharing a familial connection, are radically different people. When the war begins, Edwin is able to enlist as a pilot with the Royal Australian Air Force. However, despite fervently wishing to, Terence's role in the militia prevents him from following in his brother's footsteps. After leaving that job, he serves as a navigator aboard a bomber in the European front. The book jumps between viewpoints, highlighting not just the experiences and relationships of the brothers but also the other members of the Charles family at home (specifically their sister and mother). It includes a diverse range of locations such as Britain, India and the United States. All of this combines to form what the book refers to as "a gripping story."

Time Period(s):  World War II.

External Links:

Publisher's page
http://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/Books/Military/The-Charles-Family-s-War/1117/productview.aspx

The Australian's article on the book
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/world-war-ii-letters-by-charles-family-twins-inspire-alan-fewster/news-story/5e022833c19ee67dc4e61d9829505d06

War at Our Door

Author: Irene Drummond

Citation:  Drummond, Irene. War at Our Door, Glen Waverley, Vic. : Sid Harta Publishers, 2011.

Summary:  This book is a panoramic take on life during World War II that is vast in scope and serves as the debut for the author, Irene Drummond. One portion of the book deals with the women of the Land Army. They have been deployed to the Queensland outback, providing voluntary assistance to property-owners (whose children and employees are absent due to the war). This is just one aspect of the tapestry that this work weaves. Those opposed to the idea of fighting are incorporated. The plight of prisoners of war is explored, as is the recuperation of soldiers that have come back home. Camaraderie is one of the major, overarching themes of this novel. Courage is another. The book serves as an example to readers of how people can come together during a tumultuous time. In other words, it is "an uplifting story of the courage of the Australian Land Army Girls in the face of adversity." - Front Cover.

Time Period(s):  World War II.

External Links:

Publisher's page
http://sidharta.com/title/War_at_Our_Door

Information about the author
http://sidharta.com/author/Irene_Drummond

The enemy at home: German internees in World War I Australia

Authors:  Nadine Helmi and Gerald Fischer

Citation: Helmi, Nadine & Fischer, Gerald. The enemy at home: German internees in World War I Australia, Kensington, N.S.W. : UNSW Press, 2011.

Summary:  Media dealing with both World Wars typically concentrates on specific people such as the soldiers that participated in the battles, their families who were left behind as well as the civilian populations and governments of the nations that were involved. But what about the other segments of society? What of, for example, the people who were incarcerated by their own government during wartime? In conjunction with the Migration Heritage Centre New South Wales' online exhibition of the same name, this addresses that in its own way. At the time of the First World War close to seven thousand people of German and Austrian ancestry and varying occupations were held captive. Through a combination of extracts taken from diaries kept by the inmates and still images courtesy of the German photographer, Paul Dubotzki, the book sheds light on this situation. Through previously unreleased materials it reveals how they coped with confinement within the internment camps.

Time Period(s): World War I

External Links:

Exhibit page
http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/exhibition/enemyathome/the-enemy-at-home/index.html

Goodreads page
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11534912-the-enemy-at-home

Nazis in our midst : German-Australians, internment and the Second World War

Author:  David Henderson

Citation: Henderson, David. Nazis in our midst : German Australians, internment and the Second World War, North Melbourne, Vic. : Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2016.

Summary:  This book can serve as a companion text to "The enemy at home: German internees in World War I Australia," since it deals with extremely similar subject matter. The key differences are that it covers another time period, another major conflict and explores the Australian social climate (expanding on from the matter of internment). This interpretation of the topic comes courtesy of the historian David Henderson who is with La Trobe University. Gathering his research from government documentation and interviews with the remaining German-Australians who lived through that time, Henderson paints an enlightening picture of this portion of Australian history. More than eight thousand German-Australians were interned in camps, regardless of whether or not they had pro-Nazi sympathies.  Most ironic of all, even Jews and those opposed to the Third Reich found themselves detained. Unsurprisingly, this led to friction between them and individuals within the camps that had supporters of the Third Reich, which frequently escalated into violent confrontations. Nazis in our Midst is "a fine example of historical scholarship coupled with a no-nonsense, easily accessible writing style" - Ross Fitzgerald, The Australian

Time Period(s): World War II

External Links:

Publisher's page
http://www.scholarly.info/book/473/

Sydney Morning Herald article
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/nazis-in-our-midst-review-david-henderson-looks-at-germans-in-australia-in-wwii-20161014-gs2rlm.html

The Conscription Conflict and the Great War

 

Editors: Robin Archer, Joy Damousi, Murray Gout and Sean Scalmer

Citation: Archer, Robin (ed.), et al. The Conscription Conflict, Australia : Monash University Publishing, 2017
Monash University Publishing
Summary:  At the outbreak of the First World War, patriotic fervour was highly prevalent in Australia. Young men enthusiastically enlisted in droves out of a desire to serve their country. Others, such as conscientious objectors, refused to do so. Amidst this, the Australian government under Prime Minister William Morris Hughes made at least two attempts to pass conscription into law via referendums. Both of these attempts would end in failure. But how did this come to pass? Through nine chapters of essays (divided into four parts) that have been edited by four academics, "The Conscription Conflict and the Great War" elaborates on this. Specifically, it elaborates on how the anti-conscription movement arose in the first place, how it gradually cohered into a powerful group and how it was able to gain the momentum to succeed. It also draws comparisons with other nations where conscription was a factor. Overall, this is a book that sheds light on an aspect of Australian history that people in contemporary society may not be fully aware of.

Time Period(s): World War I

External Links:

Publisher's page
http://www.publishing.monash.edu/books/ccgw-9781925377224.html

Goodreads page
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30619301-the-conscription-conflict-and-the-great-war