Soldiers and bushmen : the Australian Amy in South Africa, 1899-1902 / Thomas Richardson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Richardson, Thomas (Writer on Australian Army), author.

Series:

Australian Army history series.

Australian Army history series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

South African War, 1899-1902--Participation, Australian.

South African War, 1899-1902.

Australians--South Africa--History.

Australians.

Australia--History, Military.

Australia.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 243 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Summary:

Soldiers and Bushmen: The Australian Army in the South Africa, 1899-1902 examines the commitment to what was expected to be a short war. It presents a thematic, analytical history of the birth of the Australian Army in South Africa, while exploring the Army's evolution from colonial units into a consolidated federal force. Soldiers and Bushmen investigates the establishment of the 'bushmen experiment' - the belief that the unique qualities of rural Australians would solve tactical problems on the veldt. This, in turn, influenced ideals around leadership, loyalty and traditional combat that fed the mythology of the Australians as natural soldiers. The book also examines the conduct of the war itself: how the Army adapted to the challenges of a battlefield transformed by technology, and the moral questions posed by the transition to fighting a counterinsurgency campaign.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 30 Jul 2025).

ISBN:

1-009-59780-9

1-009-59782-5

1-009-59783-3

OCLC:

1532840003