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Well Done, Those Men by Barry HeardBarry Heard’s quiet life on a remote Victorian farm was interrupted by ‘a very official letter in a brown envelope’ that turned up one day in 1964. He had been called up for National Service, or ‘Nasho’. A lucky brush with German measles kept him out of the army the first time around, but by February 1966 21-year-old Heard was off to the Puckapunyal army base. For a naïve country boy the army training was an adventure full of blokey bonhomie, but one that suddenly became very serious once he was stationed with a regular regiment, the 7RAR, that was about to be deployed in Vietnam.Published 20 March, 2005 Well Done, Those Men (Barry Heard, Scribe, $29.95 tpb, ISBN 1920769269, April) HHH Barry Heard’s quiet life on a remote Victorian farm was interrupted by ‘a very official letter in a brown envelope’ that turned up one day in 1964. He had been called up for National Service, or ‘Nasho’. A lucky brush with German measles kept him out of the army the first time around, but by February 1966 21-year-old Heard was off to the Puckapunyal army base. For a naïve country boy the army training was an adventure full of blokey bonhomie, but one that suddenly became very serious once he was stationed with a regular regiment, the 7RAR, that was about to be deployed in Vietnam. Heard’s recounting of his Vietnam tour is chilling. But it is the last third of the book that really hits home. In less than 100 pages, Heard describes 30 years of hell, a hell that was only recognised as chronic post-traumatic stress disorder when he suffered a massive breakdown in 1995. This book isn’t an easy read on a number of levels: not only the gruelling subject matter but also the rather distant tone can only hint at the enormous effort it took Heard to write all this down. Nonetheless, this is an important book on a still-hidden topic, and one that deserves a wide audience.Tim Coronel is AB&P’s editor This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2005, Thorpe-Bowker More from Military Book Reviews
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Tales from the front
Personal accounts, biographies, histories and even guide books—Australia’s military history is the subject of a whole army of books hitting the shelves this month.5 October, 2006
The Wreck of the Batavia and Prosper by Simon Leys
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Beyond Belief by Roger Cross
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An Australian connection: Robert Ryan's new book, After Midnight
Robert Ryan is a pretty big deal sales-wise in the UK, where his books are regular features of the Top 10 lists. Here in Australia, his fans are not quite so legion, but that may all be set to change with the Australian connection in his latest novel, After Midnight, he told Eliza Metcalfe.13 May, 2005
Darkness in Paris by Peter Ferguson
In May 1940 Germany invaded France and within six weeks had triumphantly seized control of Paris. The Allies' complacency was replaced with a sense of helplessness as they were defeated by a new kind of dynamic warfare.11 May, 2005
Hellfire: Australia, Japan and the Prisoners of War by Cameron Forbes
Hellfire traces the experiences of the Australian, British and Allied prisoners of war under Japanese occupation during World War II. The book analyses the cultural differences, dating from the 19th century, which underpinned the attitudes of the politicians and the military on both sides of the conflict.11 April, 2005
Animal Heroes by Anthony Hill
Following on from the success of historical narratives like Soldier Boy and Young Digger that explore untold stories from Australia’s fighting past, Anthony Hill’s Animal Heroes collates and presents the important role animals have played in conflicts from the World War I to the present day. Hill’s text clearly conveys the love and admiration these animals were afforded by their handlers, comrades or adopted owners. Whether they were an intuitive kitten smuggled aboard HMAS Perth, a Doberman who defected for a tin of bully beef, or one of the 11 tracking dogs who served so valiantly in Vietnam, each animal’s story is lovingly retold through surviving memory of family members, or official documents.20 March, 2005
Well Done, Those Men by Barry Heard
Barry Heard’s quiet life on a remote Victorian farm was interrupted by ‘a very official letter in a brown envelope’ that turned up one day in 1964. He had been called up for National Service, or ‘Nasho’. A lucky brush with German measles kept him out of the army the first time around, but by February 1966 21-year-old Heard was off to the Puckapunyal army base. For a naïve country boy the army training was an adventure full of blokey bonhomie, but one that suddenly became very serious once he was stationed with a regular regiment, the 7RAR, that was about to be deployed in Vietnam.20 March, 2005 |
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