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

A moving insight into the experience of war, based on the letters and diaries of over 300 soldiers.

Mark Johnston (Author)

9780521523233, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 18 July 2002

300 pages, 23 b/w illus. 2 maps
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.44 kg

"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

At the Front Line draws on a plethora of letters, diaries and documents written by over 300 Australian soldiers in the field to present a picture of the hardships and triumphs of their wartime experience. Mark Johnston analyses the suffering of front-line soldiers caused not only by the opposing force, but also by the conditions imposed by their own army. The book details the physical and psychological pressures of life at the front and shows how soldiers survived or surrendered to unbearable environments, fear, boredom and the constant threat of impending death. The myths of mateship and equanimity are brought under scrutiny. Much hostility can be explained by competition between ranks and the perceived hostility of superiors. The author investigates the immense strain that led to many breakdowns and the characteristic forebearance that saw so many others through.

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.

Subject Areas: Military life & institutions [JWT], Warfare & defence [JW], First World War [HBWN], Australasian & Pacific history [HBJM]