The third volume of the Official History of the Australian Army in World War One continues with the arrival of the Australian troops in France, following their withdrawal from Gallipoli. The book encompasses the disaster of Fromelles and the Australian involvement in the Battle of the Somme at Poziers and Moquet Farm. As with previous volumes, Bean writes the story of each battle from every side: commanders, soldiers, the enemy, and the forensic evidence left in the soil. Bean, as an Official historian, gives exhaustive details of units and movements, but makes the whole palatable with his stories of individuals and his own eye-witness descriptions of the action. The Australian soldiers' (and Bean's) doubts about the competence of British High Command grows through this period. As an Australian history of World War One this is essential reading, but it also stands alone for the picture it gives of operations - and particularly tactics - on the Somme in 1916. Despite its age, and bulk, this is an immensely readable book. Copies are very hard to get hold of, and command very high prices. Fortunately the Australian War Memorial has digitised the entire series and offers them as pdf files, chapter by chapter at the War Memorial website. ( )

Australia's official history of World War One.