Tag: A Man, A Woman, and the War to End All Wars

As a lad in the high country of eastern Victoria, Tag Wardell shows an extraordinary gift with animals—he is followed to school by his pets; his rapport with his horse, Dimble, becomes the talk of the district; and when he becomes a blacksmith, locals come to watch him at work, amazed at his ability to calm the meanest of nags. But 1914 brings war, and the government’s patriotic fervor entices Tag and his friends to join the Light Horse Brigade. Tag’s life soon spirals into a battle for survival in the day-to-day madness of the trenches, and he faces conditions that are terrible for man and beast, discovering the hardship and joy that accompany wartime love along the way. Based on the real-life experiences of a World War I veteran, this deeply moving, fiercely antiwar novel blazes with authenticity, revealing new insights into the Gallipoli legend and Australia’s battles on the Western Front. A bush tale, a family saga, and a romance combined, this unforgettable revelation demonstrates the human spirit’s ability to survive war’s inhumanity.