Peter Stanley - A Stout Pair of Boots: A Guide to Exploring Australias Battlefields

Many peopletoo many to list individually and equitablyhave walked battlefields with me. They include family, friends, colleagues, customers and helpers of various kinds. All of them have contributed to the knowledge and experience on which this book is based, and I am grateful to them individually and collectively.

Several of these trips were funded in whole or in part and made possible by the Army History Unit, headed by the energetic, effective and imaginative Roger Lee, whose research, conference and publication programs have done so much for the study of Australian military history.

I particularly appreciate Prof. David Horners willingness to contribute a foreword, drawing upon his extensive experience of battlefield visits. I have a great admiration for Davids knowledge, insight and productivity as a military historian, and especially his contribution to fostering the study of Australias military history through his association with the Army History Unit.

For this book, Im grateful to many friends and colleagues who generously shared their memories, ideas and reflections. They include Jean Bou, Phil Bradley, Jo and Ian Brennan, Harvey Broadbent, Baz Clark and Claire Hoey (Manning Clark House), David Carment, Anne-Marie Cond, Graeme Davison, Craig Deayton, Peter Dowling, Brian Farrell, Andrew Faulkner, Jeff Grey, Margaret Hadfield, Ros Hearder, Tom Heath, Matthew Higgins, David Horner, Mark Johnston, Martin Kerby, Terence King, Peter Londey, Brad Manera, Michael McKernan, Mat McLachlan, Ross McMullin, Michael Molkentin, Robert Nichols, Melanie Oppenheimer, George Parsons, Rob Pascoe, Peter Pedersen, Garth Pratten, Richard Reid, Bruce Scates, Christina Spittell, Nigel Steel, Libby Stewart, Craig Tibbitts and Craig Wilcox. Many read drafts of the manuscript and made extensive comments, corrections, suggestions and contributions. I am responsible for the errors that remain.

I am grateful to Mal Booth of the Australian War Memorial and Anne-Marie Schwirtlich of the State Library of Victoria for granting me permission to use images from their collections.

I would welcome comments and reports or accounts of other battlefield researchers methods, projects or experiences. Please feel free to contact me c/o p.stanley@nma.gov.au.

I am grateful once again to Ian Bowring of Allen & Unwin for backing an idea and to John Mapps and Angela Handley for their help in editing and producing this book. I thank Claire, Claire and Jane for tolerating me disappearing both to the Somme and to the study yet again.

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