We have absorbed the notion of the Anzac into the spiritual core of what it means to be Australian without ever examining the spiritual core of the Anzacs themselves. This study explores the Anzacs spiritual beliefs and experiences largely through their own words, taken from the diaries and letters of over 1,000 soldiers of the First AIF. Far from being indifferent to spiritual matters, their writings reveal an interest in matters of the soul more widespread than previously imagined, with significant numbers demonstrating a deep engagement with God, religion and the human spirit. In the pages of this book, we can hear the voices of the original Anzacs speaking directly to us on institutional religion, personal beliefs and spiritual practices, and on morality and ethics that go to the core of our humanity as spiritual beings.

Soldiers and nurses profiled: Robert William Wylie Adam , Alfred Sunderland Adams, John Adams, Charles Edward Adamson, Francis Vincent Addy, John Evans Evan, Frederick Albury, Thomas Henry Alcock, Arthur Gladstone Alderdice , Charles Henry Alexander, John Richard Alln, Victor Philip Allan, Ernest Allen, James Edward Allen, Walter Henry Allison, Wilfred Jospeh Allen Allsop, Hubert Lawrence Anthony, Norman John Anthony, Harold Edwin Salisbury Armitage, Albert Atkins, John William Axtens, John Godfrey Baensch, James Baillie, John Baillie, Ernest William Baker, William Emmanuel Baker, Charles Albert Barnes, Hugh Barr, William Charles Barry, John Shakespeare Bartley, Nathanial Dunbar Barton, Archie Albert Barwick, James Elliott Bell, Roy Pinto Bell, William Ewart Bendrey, James Bennett, Wilbert Nugent Berg, Isaac Henry Betteridge, Kenneth George Binnie, William James Birch, Gordon Tunston Birbeck, Charles Frederick Blake, William George Blaskett, Irene Gertrude Hiller Bonnin, John Booth, William Romey Borbidge, Charles Bosward, Stephen Philip Boulton, Evelyn Denison Bourchier, William Gordon Bowler, Thomas Brew, Francis Jospeh Campbell Brewer, Hector Brewer, Henry Francis Briggs, Frederick Eales Brown, Victor Voules Brown, Joseph George Burgess, William Henry Thornhill Burrell, Marshall Burrows, Francis Sinclair Burt, William Cameron, Sydney James Campbell, Herbert Gordon Carter, Harrie (Henry) Joseph Cave, Ben William Champion, Leslie Gordon Chandler, John Joseph Chapman, Percy Wellesley Chapman, Lloyd James Chenoweth, Eric Harding Chinner, James Churchill-Smith, Henry Claude Cicognani, Eric Roy Clarke, Oliver Joseph Bourke Clarke, William Shaw Clayton, Thomas Joseph Cleary, Albert Ernest Coates, Verner William Cocks, Langford Wellman Colley-Priest, Eric Roland Cotterill, Malcolm John Bernard Cotton, Jason Leslie Boyd Coulter, Rudolph William Arthur Cox, Thomas Ray Crooks, William Ambrose Cull, Noel Millar Cuthbert, Thomas Darchy, George Henry Davies, Apcar Leslie De Vine, Charles Reilly Deitz, Roy Howard Denning, Evarard Digges La Touche, Lyons Reginald Donkin, Lennox Ross Owen Douglas, Thomas Edward Drane, Robert James Drummond, William John Duffell, Arthur Bruce Durdin, Edward Wareham Eames, Eric Henry Drummond Edgerton, Howard Thomas Elder, Samuel Erickson, Eric Sydney Evans, Maurice Caine Evans, Wilfred Evans, John Harold Falconer, Cecil Molle (Bill) Feez, Arthur William Findlay, Robert Pearce Flockart, Alfred Ernest Forbes, William Arthur Fraser, Wilfred Denver Gallwey, Thomas Olliver Gardner, Clifford Mervyn Geddes, Hunter Gibson, Oliver Thomas Goldings, Henry Ernest Gissing, Francis Lister Godlee, Leslie Goldring, Thomas Edward Goodwin, Alexander Dundas Gordon, George Ernest Gower, Alfred Leslie Guppy, Douglas Haldane, Jospeh Rex Hall, Robert Saunderson Hamilton, William Kingston Hampson, Reuben Lucius Hampton, Benjamin Harris, Herbert Henry Harris, Cyril Gordon Lindsay Harslett, Thomas Chudleigh Hawkes, Samuel Hedley Hemming Hawkins, Stanley Hayne, John Howard Healy, Arthur Langey Hellmann, John Wesley Hetherington, Reginald Harriman Heywood, Charles Rowland Hill, Reginald Hockey, Oliver Lucien Samuel Holt, Reginald Dalton Hooker, Lancelot Vicary Horniman, Robert Geoffrey Horniman, Foster Hunter, John Thomas Hutton, Arthur Wellesley Hyman, Ion Llewellyn Idriess, John Gilbert Jacob, Bernard Cedric Job, John Joyce, Thomas Robert Livesay Kailghin, John Francis Keary, Bernard Augustine Kelaher, Ernest George King, William Angus Kirkland, Vernon Gladders Knuckey, Albert Roy Kyle, Victor Rupert Laidlaw, Henry Langtip, Charles Francis Laseron, Cyril Lawrence, Benjamin Bennett Leane, James Ray Lewis, Noel Glendenning Linton, William Dalton Lycett, John Patrick MacNamara, George Leslie (Les) Makin, Douglas Gray Marks, James Jospeh Marshall, Arthur Edward Matthews, Geoffrey Gordon McCrae, Vincent James McGarry, John Morris McInerney, Howard Taylor McKern, Alexander Ross McQueen, Douglas Acland Meggy, Keith James Mitchell, Henry Patrick Molony, Frank Henderson Molony, Cecil George Monk, Arthur John Moore, Alfred Pritchard Kingston Morris, Leslie Morris, James Edwin Moses, Ernest Murray, William Henry Nicholson, Albert Arthur Orchard, William Cox, Jim (James) Osborn, William Charles Orrey, Darrell John Patridge, Wiliam Edward Peach, Charles Harold Peters, William Peterson, Richard Keith Phillips, Charles Richard Pike, Mary Anne Bessie Pocock, Clement Ledman Ranford, John Alexander Raws, Robert Godthorpe Raws, John William Reay, Thomas Francis Reddan, Oscar Rhodes, Thomas James (Rusty) Richards, John Gotch Ridley, Richard Roberts, Thomas Crawford Roberts, Arthur Leslie Rodda, Charles Rosenthal, Alice Ross-King, Frederick William Rowe, Roy Rowe, Verdi George Schwinghammer, John William Scott, Ellis Silas, Ronad Augustine Sinclair, Arthur George Sindrey, Frederick Thornton Small, Claude Stanley Smith, Francis (Frank) Henry Smith, Ross Macpherson Smith, Edward Vivian Smythe, Percy Ellesmere Smythe, Edward Rashleigh Sparke, Malcolm Shore Stanley, Christine Erica Strom, Herbert Surtees, Lyell Keith Swann, Thomas Swindells, Thomas Taylor, Frederick Leopold Terrell, Sydney Robert Traill, Rupert Henry Treganowan, John Linton Treloar, Henry Frederick Tucker, John Henry Llewellyn Turnbull, Lindsay Robert Turner, Frederick Harold Vick, Rubert Taylor Vowles, Eric Lawford Walker, Samuel Weingott, Frank Valentine Weir, Raymond Thomas Wharton, Arthur George Whitaker, Charles Leonard Whitaker, Thomas Alexander White, Roy Melsyd Whitelaw, Thomas Clair Whitside , William Victor Owen, John (Jack) Wilson, John Davison Wilson, Aubrey Roy Liddon Wiltshire, Eric Wiliam Gregg Wren, Theodore Willard Wright, Walter Vicery Wright, William Thomas Yates, Ray Moore Youlden and William Campbell Young.

Chapter 11 co-authored with Marcia Forbes.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 354-361) and index.