image of person or book cover 2735845494034641898.jpg
This image has been sourced from Booktopia
y separately published work icon Pompey Elliott at War : In His Own Words selected work   diary   correspondence  
Issue Details: First known date: 2017... 2017 Pompey Elliott at War : In His Own Words
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'The wartime letters and diaries of Pompey Elliott, Australia's most famous fighting general, are exceptionally forthright. They are also remarkably illuminating about his volatile emotions. Pompey not only wrote frankly about what happened to him and the men he was commanding; he was also frank about what he felt about both. Having arranged a no-secrets pact with his wife for their correspondence before he left Australia in 1914, he adhered to that agreement throughout the conflict.

'Moreover, Pompey expressed himself vividly in his diaries and other correspondence. He wrote rapidly and fluently, deploying fertile imagery, a flair for simile, and an engaging turn of phrase. His extraordinary letters to his young children turned even the Western Front into a bedtime story.

'Pompey was prominent in iconic battles and numerous controversies. He was wounded at the Gallipoli landing, and four of his men were awarded the Victoria Cross for conspicuous bravery at Lone Pine. No one was more instrumental than Pompey in turning looming defeat into stunning victory at both Polygon Wood and Villers-Bretonneux. No Australian general was more revered by those he led or more famous outside his own command.

'This book, by the author of the award-winning and best-selling biography Pompey Elliott , will lead to a new appreciation of Pompey's character and his importance in the dramatic final year of World War I.' (Publication summary)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Melbourne, Victoria,: Scribe , 2017 .
      image of person or book cover 2735845494034641898.jpg
      This image has been sourced from Booktopia
      Extent: 544p.
      Note/s:
      • Published 2nd October 2017

      ISBN: 9781925322415

Works about this Work

Up Close and Personal - Documents from the Front Paul Henderson , 2018 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Institute Review , January no. 8 2018;

— Review of Pompey Elliott at War : In His Own Words H. E. Elliott , 2017 selected work diary correspondence
'By Night and By Day' Geoffrey Blainey , 2018 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , August no. 403 2018; (p. 60)

'General ‘Pompey’ Elliott was a famous Australian in 1918, half forgotten seventy years later, and is now a national military hero. This Anzac Day he stood high. On French soil he was praised by France’s prime minister, Édouard Philippe, in one of the most mesmerising and sensitive speeches ever offered by a European leader to Australian ears. Probably Elliott now stands just below General Sir John Monash in the honour roll of Australia’s military leaders, though we cannot foretell whether Pompey’s status – he was a cult figure in his day – will persist.' (Introduction)

Up Close and Personal - Documents from the Front Paul Henderson , 2018 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Institute Review , January no. 8 2018;

— Review of Pompey Elliott at War : In His Own Words H. E. Elliott , 2017 selected work diary correspondence
'By Night and By Day' Geoffrey Blainey , 2018 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , August no. 403 2018; (p. 60)

'General ‘Pompey’ Elliott was a famous Australian in 1918, half forgotten seventy years later, and is now a national military hero. This Anzac Day he stood high. On French soil he was praised by France’s prime minister, Édouard Philippe, in one of the most mesmerising and sensitive speeches ever offered by a European leader to Australian ears. Probably Elliott now stands just below General Sir John Monash in the honour roll of Australia’s military leaders, though we cannot foretell whether Pompey’s status – he was a cult figure in his day – will persist.' (Introduction)

Last amended 29 Aug 2017 08:22:06
X