BOOK REVIEW: I Was Only Nineteen by John Schumann / Pictures by Craig Smith

BOOK REVIEW: I Was Only Nineteen by John Schumann / Pictures by Craig Smith
Allen & Unwin
February 2014, $24.99 rrp
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
10/10

In 1983 Australian folk band Redgum released their iconic song I Was Only Nineteen, which was described as 1st first person account of a typical Australian infantry soldier’s experience in the Vietnam war. Schumann’s lyrics trace a young chap from basic training through to combat and return home, psychologically and physically scarred.

Based largely on the personal experiences of Schumann’s brother-in-law and a mate, it became a massively powerful and confronting anti-war song, which has lived a more recent life of it’s own in Australian schools.

Now it’s also a book, with lavish and evocative paintings buy celebrated children’s illustrator Craig Smith, and together, the text packs even more of a positive anti-war punch for our kids to be reading and learning about.

Category: Book Reviews