Dispatches From The Front (2015) By Peter Holmes
 
In this book, the author Peter Holmes diligently records the biography of 20 Australian war correspondents. These include some of the most famous names in Australian history for example, Charles Bean, Andrew "Banjo" Patterson and Keith Murdoch.
 
Throughout war it has often been difficult for correspondents to strike a balance between telling the truth as they saw it, and protecting their own reputations with soldiers at the front. It was important that correspondents gain the respect of both the commanding officers and troops with whom they relied upon for their information. If soldiers thought that a correspondent's reports would end up criticizing them they would provide little cooperation or information to them. Charles Bean discovered this when he wrote an article criticizing the behavior of Australian troops in Egypt before Gallipoli. The articles he wrote were then read by Australian troops causing him no end of trouble which probably contributed in his later reporting predicament on Gallipoli.

This was also evident in the Vietnam War when Australian Associated Press correspondent, Allan Ramsey was banned from the lines of 1st RAR after he reported on the machine gunning of a peasant man and woman in Vietcong held territory.
 
Because of their position, relaying the news to the world, some correspondents were able to influence war commanders. For example, Keith Murdoch influenced the withdrawal of troops from Gallipoli. Bean attempted to prevent the appointment of Monash over White during the later part of World War I. Chester Wilmont made known he was upset when Blamey replaced Rowell during the Kokoda New Guinea campaign World War II.

While correspondents were not subject to strict military discipline 24 hours a day they did often face danger and in some cases were killed or wounded.
 
In his book, Peter Holmes has collected numerous stories of 20 of the most important war correspondents in Australia's military history. The correspondent's biographies include:
 
William Lambie - New South Wales contingent Sudan War, Boer War
George Morrison - The Boxer Rebellion.
Banjo Patterson -  Boer War
Ellis Ashmead-Barlett - Gallipoli World War I
Charles Bean - Gallipoli Western Front World War I
Philip Schuler - Gallipoli World War I
Keith Murdoch - World War I
Gavin Long - World War II
Kenneth Slessor - World War II
Ian Fitchett - World War II
Reginald Wilmot - Tobruk KOKODA
Alan Moorehead - World War II
John Hetherington - World War II
Neil Monks - Battle of Britain World War II
Ronald Monson - North Africa Syria
Osmar White - New Guinea
Wilfred Burchett - Burma Pacific theater
Denis Warner - Pacific World War II, Vietnam War
Henry Gordon - Korean War
Francis Burgess - Vietnam War
 
Signed By The Author.
 
Soft Cover
307 Pages
In Good Condition