A pictorial history
That Magnificent 9th

By Mark Johnston. Hardcover, 272 pages. Published by Allen & Unwin. $49.95.

Reviewer :: Cpl Jonathan Garland

AUSTRALIA’S 9 Div was one of five volunteer divisions raised in WW2 and, through actions in Tobruk and El Alamein, became famous throughout the world.

The title of this book is taken from a remark made by General Montgomery after the Battle of El Alamein.

The book is a history of the division written, not from the top down, but from the perspective of the junior soldiers who served in its ranks.

It is a largely pictorial history. In fact, the book is in many ways just an extended photo caption.

Where the troops were and what they were doing at the time is depicted in about 200 photos, accompanied by text that describes the content of those photos, explains them in the context of events of the time and links them in a chronology from beginning to end.

Headings in bold type naturally lead the eye to the photo captions contained within the body of the text.

The result is a readable book that can be picked up and put down at leisure but is equally easy to read from cover to cover in one sitting.

Appendices include casualty tables and honours and awards but this is almost the only statistical data in what is a human story.

This is a different kind of history book, not for the dedicated historian but for the interested amateur looking for a window into the world of the soldier in 9 Div.

If you have the extra cash, you might find this an interesting read or an inspired Christmas gift.