Lest

Australian War Myths

By: Mark Dapin

Narrated by: Henry Nixon

From Simpson’s donkey and the Emu War to Vietnam and Ben Roberts-Smith, Australian military history is full of events that didn’t happen the way most people think they did. In his inimitable style, award-winning author Mark Dapin sets the record straight.

Australia has many stories and statues ‘lest we forget’ our military past. But from Simpson’s donkey to Ben Roberts-Smith, our history is full of events that didn’t happen the way most people think they did.

The first Anzac Day, for example, was far from being a solemn march – it was a celebration where people dressed as cavemen and dinosaurs, among other things. And is it true that British officers callously dispatched Australian soldiers to their deaths in the Dardanelles, as we’ve been told? Did we really hate the soldiers returning from Vietnam? Were the white-feather women of the First World War fact or fiction?

In his inimitable style, award-winning author and historian Mark Dapin sets the record straight, showing that the reality was often completely different from the myth – and that in celebrating the wrong people we often overlook the real heroes.

‘With Lest, Mark Dapin transforms his trademark humour into serious history … It forces us to look again at stories we think we all know – or should know – and reframe them with intellectual rectitude and rigour … Lest offers new perspectives on the past from one of Australia’s most interesting and provocative thinkers.’ Clare Wright

Critic reviews

‘thoughtful, meticulous, funny, at times furious, and to veterans at least, kind … Lest is a cry for the truth ... Remarkable; a great and entertaining book on historiography.’

'Lucidly written and illuminating ... a great read.'

'That is the value of books like Lest. Not only do they counter fiction with fact, they also add more layers to a story that has become very narrow and one-dimensional over time. I highly recommend it.'

'For a book about brutal wars Lest is a very light read, filled with humour, fun facts and anecdotes. In fact, what made the book stand out for me was Dapin’s wit, and his commitment to extract the truth'