Bad Characters: sex, crime, mutiny, murder and the Australian Imperial Force

Joint winner of the 2010–2011 Prime Minister's Prize for Australian History, Bad Characters is a ground-breaking book that tackles head-on a crucial gap in Australia history. Here, renowned historian Peter Stanley explores in detail the poor discipline that characterized the service of the Australian Imperial Force throughout World War I, supported by archival sources ranging into the hundreds and drawing upon court martial files and soldiers’ letter to illuminate numerous uncomfortable truths. Beyond the AIF’s celebrated ‘larrikinism’ lay problems spanning from bludging and dumb insolence, to serious riots and strikes, through to serious civil crimes culminating in several murders. Stanley skillfully interweaves recounts of these events into an engaging and informative chronological narrative that demonstrates how the AIF became an incredibly effective fighting force despite its record for military misbehaviour – and, perhaps, because these bad characters made the AIF the superb force it was.