Drawn in part from the authors combat experience in France during WW I, the novel is an exploration of the lives of soldiers in the Australian Imperial Force from the Ypres campaign in 1917 until just before the Armistice. The plot follows three soldiers in the same battalionCharl Bentley, a naive and handsome raw recruit eager for combat; Frank Jeffreys, a schoolteacher whose intellect and anxiety have led to disillusionment; and Jim Blount, a resourceful and courageous warrior-hero who remains undaunted by battle despite being wounded. The novel bears an unmistakable Australian point of view, particularly in its wry sense of humor in spite of the dark subject matter and in its vehement disdain for British commanders who viewed the AIF volunteers as disposable.