As "the greatest generation" starts to recede from the field and a new generation takes the travail they went through - both defending their country AND establishing the legitimacy of their private lives for granted, we are starting to need and get a number of academic examinations of the era which did so much to pave the way for our modern world through the efforts of heroes on and off the battlefield who didn't think of themselves as heroes but just people. While given a somewhat lurid cover to attract sales, this text (a Masters or Doctoral Thesis from Small?) is dry in places where many would have liked it to have greater heat, but it is remarkably well written and gives an excellent understanding of the beginning of the transition of one of the quietest minorities to one of the proudest from the perspective of servicemen serving half a world away from home and those still in their naive Australia. It wasn't intended for the casual thrill seeking reader (hence the rather hefty price tag), but for those looking for a well researched slice of a life they never experienced written with hope and understanding, they could do worse.