Inferno: Australians on the Western Front

(Paperback)

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'We sprang to our feet with one mighty yell and ran and jumped into the German trench and got to work with bayonets and bombs. We were in there no more than half an hour when the German artillery found out and turned their big guns on us. He gave us 7 hours of perfect inferno.'

2 August 1914: German troops cross the border and advance into Belgium and France. Two days later, Britain declared war on Germany. With Australian foreign relations conducted through Britain, Australia is now also at war with Germany. Three-hundred thousand young Australians will depart to face the inferno of the Western Front; 46,000 will not return.

Inferno is the story of Australians fighting in France and Belgium from 1916 to 1918, the greatest battlefront in history, told through the eyes of the Diggers and the Germans. Each of the major Australian battles is recounted from the soldier's viewpoint in rich historical detail, much of which has been uncovered for the first time.

Written by bestselling military historian Phillip Bradley, Inferno is an epic of our wartime history, a comprehensive account of Australians on the Western Front. Amidst the largest tragedy in Australian history, this is the legend of the Diggers brought to life.

Author Bio

Phillip Bradley is a leading Australian military historian and has had a lifetime interest in the field. His extensive research on the battlefield, in the archives and with veterans has given him an intimate knowledge of Australia's military past. Eight of his books, On Shaggy Ridge, The Battle for Wau, To Salamaua, Wau 1942-43, Hell's Battlefield, D-Day New Guinea, The Battle for Shaggy Ridge and Salamaua 1943 are groundbreaking works on the Australian role in Papua New Guinea in World War II, all characterised by extensive battlefield research and unique interviews with battlefield veterans. His other books, Charles Bean's Gallipoli Illustrated and Australian Light Horse, combine extracts from World War I diaries with unique collections of photographs to illustrate these classic campaigns. Bradley's latest book, Inferno, completes his trilogy of World War I volumes.