IN A series of battles in March and April 1918, Australian troops played arguably their most critical role in World War I.
At Dernancourt, Villers-Bretonneux and Hazebrouck, the Australians pushed back German advances on the Somme, saving the Channel ports and causing the collapse of this last, desperate German offensive.
David W Cameron looks at these telling battles in his latest book, Australians on the Western Front 1918: volume one - Resisting the Great German Offensive.
With vivid descriptions drawing on soldiers' diaries and letters, he weaves a thrilling narrative around the campaign's significant moments, while also placing the Australians' actions within the broader strategic context of the war.
Chapters look at the breakthrough, the battles for the Somme, saving Hazebrouck and the Channel ports, and losing and retaking Villers-Bretonneux.
There are stirring images from sources including the Imperial War Museums London and the Australian War Memorial as well as maps outlining advances and operations.
Cameron has written several books on Australian military history, including The Battle for Lone Pine and The Battle of Long Tan.
- Australians on the Western Front 1918, by David W Cameron, published by Penguin, RRP $34.99