Over the Top

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Over the Top
Authors and Contributors      By (author) H.G. Hartnett
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:348
Dimensions(mm): Height 197,Width 129
Category/GenreMemoirs
First world war
ISBN/Barcode 9781742375953
ClassificationsDewey:920.00 940.4144
Audience
General
Edition Main

Publishing Details

Publisher Allen & Unwin
Imprint Allen & Unwin
Publication Date 1 October 2011
Publication Country Australia

Description

Australia's diggers didn't go 'over the top' for King and Country, they did it for their mates and their battalion - extraordinary deeds performed by ordinary men. Henry George Hartnett, known as 'Harry', joined the Australian Imperial Force on 13 September, 1915 at the age of 23. He saw action on the Western Front at Fromelles and on the Somme, receiving his first 'Blighty', a wound so serious he was sent back to Britain for treatment, in the Battle of Pozieres. Upon his recovery, he returned to 'tour' the front with his battalion - an endless cycle of fighting interspersed with brief rest periods behind the lines. In this book Harry recalls the battles, the long marches, and the many amusing events that provided escape from the horrors of the battlefront. His moving descriptions give the reader insight into the unshakeable bonds forged between men trapped in situations they could never have imagined. Over the Top takes the reader on an eye-opening tour of life in and behind the trenches on the Western Front. Harry's book, which has never before been published, is a magnificent gift to Australia.

Author Biography

Harry Hartnett was a digger on the Western Front. Over the Top is based on Harry's diaries, which his family gave to Chris Bryett, a lawyer and World War I buff, to arrange for publication.