Australia has a long and proud tradition of going to war to support our Allies and to defend the freedom which Australians hold so dear. Yet many Australians have only a basic awareness of what this involvement has entailed and just how far it has gone.

Australians at War, which began its screen life as an eight part television series on ABC TV earlier this year, attempts to remedy this. Newly released on DVD, it provides a comprehensive visual record of our wartime history, telling the story of our wartime experiences over the past one hundred years.

Beginning with the enlistment of Australians in the Boer War in 1899, two years prior to Federation, the series then provides an in depth exploration of the contribution of Australians in the two world wars, including the forging of the Anzac legend and campaigns close to Australia when the Japanese threatened our security during the Second World War. Other episodes explore the Korean and Vietnam campaigns, the uncertain years of the Cold War and more recent UN Peacekeeping operations.

The series has been thoroughly researched and, as well as news and film footage, details the experiences of both service men and women and those at home, through interviews and excerpts from diaries, journals and letters. By providing these insights into personal experiences the series provides a new, deeper understanding of what it means to be an Australian at war.

Australians at War was produced with the assistance of Australia’s leading military and social historians and supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Australian War memorial. It provides an unprecedented historical documentation of Australia’s wartime experiences.

This would make an excellent addition to any DVD or video collection, suitable for anyone with an interest in Australia’s heritage, including those who have seen active service and their families, and students of Australian history. It is also an essential addition to high school resource collections.

The double DVD set of Australians at War is available for a recommended price of $79.95 from all ABC Shops, ABC Centres and all leading video retailers. A triple video boxed set, CD Soundtrack and book of the series are also available.

Australians at War, ABC DVD, 2001
For more information, visit ABC Online.

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