At the Front Line

At the Front Line draws on a plethora of letters, diaries and documents written by more than 300 Australian soldiers in the field to present a picture of the hardships and triumphs of their national wartime experience. Mark Johnston analyzes the suffering of front-line soldiers caused not only by the opposing force, but also by the conditions imposed by their own army. The book details the physical and psychological pressures of life at the front. It shows the shocking realizations experienced by soldiers as they came into contact with their own mortality and the mortality of others for the first time. With a skilful hand, Mark Johnston paints a picture of survival and surrender in the surreal conditions in which the soldiers lived and fought: not only the rain, heat, hunger and noise, but also the boredom and the unnerving suspense. The author investigates both the immense strain that led to many breakdowns, and the characteristic forbearance that saw so many others through. In this testament to both scholarship and humanity, Mark Johnston has captured the stoicism and frailty of Australian soldiers struggling under the burdens of service in World War II.