Michael Enright Livres

Focusing on the experiences of Australian aircrew during World War II, this book utilizes extensive field research and over two hundred survivor interviews to highlight their contributions across various squadrons in Europe. It addresses historical oversights regarding these airmen, detailing their recruitment in Australia and their involvement in the grueling air campaigns against the Third Reich. For the first time, it consolidates the narratives of Australian aircrew from multiple commands, offering a comprehensive account of their valor and sacrifices in the European theater.

Historian Michael Enright provides a close-up account of Australian servicemen on the Western Front during WWI. Using many previously unpublished, first-hand materials, the author provides a fresh look at the Great War through the eyes of ordinary servicemen. The scene is set with a brief account of events at Gallipoli, the place where the Australians gained their reputation as fierce fighters, and then the author discusses the reformation of the ANZAC divisions in Egypt and their subsequent movement to France. This leads to previously unpublished personal accounts that give new interpretations of the key battles on the Western Front at Fromelles, Somme, Bullecourt, Messines, Passchendaele, and Villers-Bretonneux, amongst others. Many of these accounts support the particular bravery of the Australian soldier. This work provides a reassessment of the ANZAC legend and mythology based on the personal diaries and memoirs of those who were there.