Our systems are now restored following recent technical disruption, and we’re working hard to catch up on publishing. We apologise for the inconvenience caused. Find out more

Recommended product

Popular links

Popular links


Soldiers and Gentlemen

Soldiers and Gentlemen

Soldiers and Gentlemen

Australian Battalion Commanders in the Great War, 1914–1918
William Westerman, University of New South Wales, Canberra
February 2017
Adobe eBook Reader
9781108122160
$63.00
USD
Adobe eBook Reader
USD
Hardback

    Soldiers and Gentlemen: Australian Battalion Commanders in the Great War, 1914–1918 is the first book to examine the background, role and conduct of Australian commanding officers during the First World War. Though they held positions of power, commanding officers inhabited a leadership no man's land - they exerted great influence over their units, but they were also largely excluded from the decision-making process and faced the same risks as junior officers on the battlefield. A soldier's well-being and success in battle was heavily dependent on a commanding officer's competence, but little is known about the men who filled these roles. In his groundbreaking book, William Westerman explores the stories of the vitally important, yet often forgotten, commanding officers. Theirs is a story of the timeless challenges of military leadership, and this book prevents them from slipping from the public memory to enhance our knowledge of the conflict.

    • Explores previously unknown stories of key Australian army leaders
    • Provides history enthusiasts with an exciting new discussion of the First World War
    • Includes a rich collection of archival photographs that allows readers to immerse themselves in history

    Product details

    February 2017
    Adobe eBook Reader
    9781108122160
    0 pages
    0kg
    56 b/w illus. 2 maps
    This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.

    Table of Contents

    • 1. 'He knows how to make soldiers': raising the RAF
    • 2. 'Everything is a terrible muddle': the Gallipoli campaign, 1915
    • 3. 'No Shortage of senior officers': command turnover
    • 4. 'Serious, scientific war': the Western Front and trench warfare, 1916–17
    • 5. 'The hardest task in the army': the Western Front and administration
    • 6. 'A good man to serve under': the Western Front and personal factors
    • 7. 'The destiny of the empire': the Western Front, 1918.
      Author
    • William Westerman , University of New South Wales, Canberra

      William Westerman is a researcher for the Official History of Australian Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also holds a position at the University of New South Wales, Canberra as a Teaching Fellow with the Military and Defence Studies Program, Australian Command and Staff College, Canberra.