Australasia Triumphant!: With the Australians and New Zealanders in the Great War on Land and Sea

Drawing on official dispatches, contemporary newspapers and personal letters, this volume paints a detailed picture of how Australian and New Zealand forces entered the Great War. The narrative follows the troops from their departure in 1914, through training camps in Egypt, to the first brutal assaults on the Dardanelles and the fierce naval clash that left the German cruiser Emden ashore on Cocos Island. Interspersed with thirty‑six period illustrations, the account captures not only the strategies and hardships of the early campaigns but also the morale, humor and emerging sense of national identity among the young soldiers.

The author's careful collation of eyewitness reports offers listeners a sense of what it felt like to march across desert plains, load onto troopships, and step onto hostile shores under fire. While the book does not venture beyond the initial phases of the conflict, it provides a vivid backdrop for understanding the ANZAC legacy and the spirit that propelled these volunteers into the worldwide struggle.