Volunteers at Heart: the Queensland Defence Forces 1860-1901 by D H Johnson

Book Description

Secondhand. Very good condition. Minor wear to book corners and edges. Dust jacket has light creasing at edges and spine, and is enclosed in a glossy protective cover. Interior and binding are still excellent.

Volunteers at Heart entertainingly traces the development of the Queensland defence forces from the colony's inception until federation, in the context of the often highly critical society the volunteers were pledged to defend.

Illustrated by photographs and cartoons of the period, the book highlights the many problems and colourful incidents associated with the early attempts to provide local defence for the frontier colony. Many of the companies were little more than social gatherings, most were crudely outfitted and ill-equipped, and others were notable for their lack of competent leadership.

The book is also a general study of the conception and evolution of a citizen army and how a small community reacted, embracing the development of the British Empire's defence and the changing relationships between Britain and Australia from early colonial days to Federation.