The strongest articles published in the most recent edition of AHS concern aspects of military history. Recently rediscovered archival documents enliven Bart Ziino’s fascinating analysis of the reasons why many men did not enlist in World War I. Those who stayed were sometimes caught between the social expectation of enlistment and the need to provide for their families. Some even saw conscription as a means of relieving them of the responsibility of deciding between public and private duty.

Elsewhere, Craig Wilcox explores the popular myth of ‘Breaker’ Morant as an heroic figure and the continued push to clear his name as a Boer War criminal via ahistorical means. We need more historians prepared to address the abuse of history in popular culture, especially with regard to those ‘based on a true story’ television series that use ‘historical truth’ as a selling point yet frequently ignore history for the sake of a good yarn. Among the other articles is a lively discussion on computer technology and its use by historians over several decades (Paul Turnbull); an article by Jean Burgess, Helen Klaebe, and Kelly McWilliam on digital storytelling and the prime minister’s Apology to the Stolen Generations; and Jeannine Baker’s entertaining study of gender issues, wartime morale and ‘light’ journalism, concentrating on the Australian Women’s Weekly’s coverage of Australian troops posted in Malaya during 1941.

Occasionally, the imprecise nature of the academic buzzwords and phrases employed made me crave a little more plain English. Overall, however, there is much for the lover of history to enjoy in this volume.