The silence was eerie. In the darkness I could just see the mist that swirled around the rowboat. The men in the boat seemed lost in their own thoughts. No-one spoke, no-one made a sound. Somewhere ahead a loud report. A shot? Rifle fire, from the beach, which was only dimly coming into view. This was it.
When Australia throws its support behind Britain in its fight against Germany, young teacher Stan Moore is one of the first to join up, swapping the classroom for adventure in Europe. But the 11th Battalion is sent with the newly formed Anzac Corp to Gallipoli where Stan is confronted by the hard lessons of war.
Though conditions are dismal and death is everywhere, so is the humour and bravery that is the true spirit of Anzac.
My Rating: 7/10
I loved how this book included some well known Australian WW1 heroes such as the journalist Charles Bean and the medic on the donkey John Simpson Kirkpatrick.
I loved this book so much more than the first one 1914. The protagonist in this one is from my home state of Western Australia so that helped but I also felt like we got a greater insight into the life of the brave men in the trenches in this book.
Like with the first book, enough is shown to understand the true horror and loss of the war, but it is never overly graphic to feel out of place in a YA novel.
These books blend real historical events with intriguing and relatable characters so well. I loved the letters between Stanley on the western front and his sister Elizabeth back home in Bunbury.
I also found the field hospital really interesting as that is where my great-grandfather spent the majority of his time during the war with illness. It was good to be able to add some personal details to the story in that aspect.
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