September 1998 Volume 79  Number 9 "serving the protectors"
Book Review
By Mike Horsfall (mich@picknowl.com.au)

NEW BOOKS

For Hearths and Homes - Craig Wilcox
Allen and Unwin $29.95

Craig Wilcox was born in Kings Cross and grew up on Sydney’s northern beaches. He wrote his doctoral thesis on Australia’s military forces before the Great War. He has worked as a historian at the Australian War Memorial and is now a freelance historian with an abiding interest in Australia at war.

For Hearths and Homes is his first book. It is one in a series of Army Military History publications and tells the story of the thousands of citizen soldiers of Australia from the 1850s to the 1940s. These ordinary Australians gave up their spare time to be trained for the defence of Australia - on their “hearths and homes”.

Written in very readable and accessible style, For Hearths and Homes describes how Australians have prepared for war in peacetime and the legacy of that preparation for Australians today. It is ideally suited to those with a special interest in war.

The Thin Red Line - James Jones - Hodder and Stoughton Paperback $17.95

Reviewed by Mark Cook

Written by James Jones of “Here to Eternity” fame in 1972, The Thin Red Line tells the story of a group of men at war in the pacific jungle during World War II.

Republished in response to an upcoming major film starring John Travolta, Nick Nolte, Sean Penn and George Clooney, this book concentrates on the thoughts and actions of the young men involved in the fighting. “Another war book,” you say. Yes, but you’ll find no heroic comic book view of war here - just people trying to survive in a totally foreign and dangerous environment.

The book opens with the landing of a group of United States marines on the Island of Guadacanal in 1942. It relates the adjustment of life from training in camps in Australia to the inevitable encounter with the veteran Japanese Army, which is holed up in the steamy jungle. Conflict is not just with the Japanese - infighting and jealousies between members of the same company are just as destructive for these men.

The view of war shown in this book is that seen by the individual. From the half a dozen or so principal characters, Jones writes very descriptively and forcibly about their fear, shame, hatred and, at times, courage - how each man with his own inadequacies measures up to the cauldron of battle. The Thin Red Line is another book suited to those interested in war.

First Aid for Children Fast - St John Ambulance Australia
Dorling Kindersley $22.95

A publication associated with St John Ambulance can only be considered required reading. First Aid for Children Fast - a parent’s guide to all childhood accident and emergencies, equips the reader with the basic knowledge needed to manage the common emergencies which afflict Australian children. The book covers first aid treatment for everything from minor cuts and grazes to resuscitation.

For every condition, a series of colour photographs shows exactly what has to be done, with clear, step-by-step instructions. In cases of emergency, the thumbnail index on the back cover directs the reader straight to the relevant page. First Aid for Children Fast will prove to be a worthwhile reference source.

For information on St Johns Ambulance Australia first aid courses call your local training centre on 1300 360 455.

For the opportunity to win a copy of For Hearths and Homes, put your details on the back of a used envelope and address it to Mike Horsfall, Sturt Police Station (12) Hearths & Homes.