The Anzac Book

 The ANZAC BOOK was written and illustrated in Gallipoli by the men of ANZAC.

Back in the later months of 1915 on Gallipoli, Charles Bean and a British officer, Major S Butler serving with Anzac Staff, hatched an idea of producing a magazine for the men still fighting in the Gallopoli trenches. On the 14th November 1915, Bean distributed to the men a notice asking for contributions. All manner of interesting poems, drawings, art, stories were received from the men. About the same time the evacuation of Gallipoli took place. After the evacuation Bean and his assistant Arthur Bazley, completed editing on the Greek isle of Imbros.

In January 1916, Bean took The Anzac Book to the London publisher Cassell and Co and the first edition a soft cover was created. In that very first edition of the book there was a poem titled "The Trojan War 1915" (see pics above) attributed to J. Wareham of the 1st Australian Field Ambulance. However, it was subsequently learned that Wareham had simply copied the verse from the Sydney Bulletin newspaper. In all future editions, the poem was correctly credited to its true poet Henry Adams, a New Zealander who worked as a journalist but never served on Gallipoli.

The book was enthusiastically reviewed when it reached Australia in June 1916. Many editions and variations followed, mostly being sold to help raise patriotic funds to assist the wounded.

A nice part of Australia's Military History - this is a ~ 1975 reprint