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by Boomert - Shattered Anzacs: Living with the Scars of War by Marina Larsson 13 Jan 2010
Shattered Anzacs looks at the lives of wounded Australian soldiers as they returned to Australia after WWI. Some returned to their families, others never left hospital. Some lived relatively ordinary lives, while the wounds of others affected every part of their own and their families’ daily lives. Larsson looks in detail at tuberculosis and what is known today as post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as discussing such issues as amputation, the affects of gassing and venereal disease. The focus on families is particularly interesting. Many mothers and wives put their lives on hold to care for their son or husband, and some of the stories retold here are amazing examples of love and self-sacrifice. Family members also went into battle for their soldiers, arguing with doctors and nurses, and particularly government officials, for the recognition of wounds, increased pensions, and the right to keep their relatives out of the civil system and treated as returned soldiers. Larsson includes commentary on society as a whole, including the government departments who dealt with returned soldiers and the proliferation of aid societies formed around their issues. This history of some of the forgotten victims of WWI is fascinating.

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine (March 2009, Vol 88, No 6.) is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker.

Author Biography: Marina Larsson
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Anzac Legacies, Paperback (July 2010)

Shattered Anzacs, Paperback (March 2009)