THE AUSTRALIANS AT THE BOER WAR

Abstract

PUBLISHED JOINTLY BY THE AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL AND THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING SERVICE

In all facets of life there are professional men who follow a career according to well-established principles, and others who attempt things for which they are not equipped. History writing is not short of amateur practitioners; perhaps this is because it seems so easy to describe a set of occurrences. All one requires is a few published sources, fair writing ability, and a publisher, and another history book is served up to the public. It is evident that the reading public is less selective in selecting history books than it is in the purchase of works on other subjects - for instance no-one will buy a medical book unless it is written by a doctor, and a book about sport will only sell if it is written by someone well-known for sporting achievements.