The Anzac (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) legend rests upon the assumption that Australia came of age as a nation when the Anzacs landed on Gallipoli on April 25, 1915 during the First World War. This legend is integral to the Australian sense of nationhood and national character. In this highly original book, Alistair Thompson explores both the creation of the legend, and, most crucially, its effect upon those who have lived in its shadow--the survivors of the great war. Looking at the legend"s changing significance for Australian politics and society, the author draws on personal interviews with surviving war veterans, as well as the official histories of Charles Bean, and the depiction of Anzacs in nineties novels and movies.