This work investigates the lived experiences, cultural identity, and combat reality of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during the First World War. Patsy Adam-Smith, a noted Australian historian, utilizes extensive archival research and personal interviews with veterans to reconstruct the human element of the conflict. The text argues that the ANZAC legend is defined not merely by military strategy, but by the specific social bonds and endurance of the soldiers serving in foreign theaters of war.

Historians and readers frequently cite this work as a definitive social history of the Australian experience in the Great War. Experts highlight the author's ability to synthesize oral histories into a cohesive narrative that captures the individual soldier's perspective.