Description
The Happy Warrior: An Anthology of Australian and New Zealand Military Poetry is a comprehensive collection of verse edited by Warrant Officer Paul Barrett and Kerry B. Collison.
Synopsis and Themes
Rather than a single narrative, the book is an anthology that serves as a work of historical retrieval, bringing together the voices of “rank-and-file bards” whose contributions to folk literature had been largely forgotten.
Human Experience: The collection captures the essence of the human spirit, focusing on themes of camaraderie, honour, loyalty, and courage.
Perspective: It provides readers with insights into the “minds, hearts and souls” of Australian and New Zealand warriors who defended their countries.
Tone: The editors curated the poems to reflect a “well-blended mix of irony, humour and the horror of war”. Humour and laughter are highlighted as a soldier’s “last line of defence” against morbid realities.
Historical Scope: The volume includes poetry spanning from the Boer War to modern-day peacekeeping in East Timor.
Hardcover. 524 pages. In hardcover book itself is in very good condition, with the exception of a gift message inside and fading to the spine. Someone also tried the laminate the dust cover and left a few lamination wrinkles. I personally would probably ditch the dust jacket and just keep the hardcover book of poetry.
