Uncommon Soldier

'Illuminating' - The Australian

'If you read only one book related to Anzac Day.make it Uncommon Soldier. Masters has produced a fair-minded, clear-eyed study of the contemporary Australian Army.' - Saturday Age

'Chris Masters' Uncommon Soldier is an uncommon book.He writes as the fine journalist that he is.' - Daily Telegraph

'A rare and in-depth analysis of the present-day Digger paints a candid picture of army life.' - Sydney Morning Herald

Chris Masters turns his penetrating gaze on the young men and women who make up the Australian Army. Having been taken into their ranks in a way rarely afforded an outsider, he gives heart and soul to the contemporary digger: how they are selected, how they are led, and how they are transformed from civilians to disciplined professional soldiers. And by sharing their experiences, he puts under severe challenge that soldiering is the province of dumb grunts.

Uncommon Soldier is a rich and powerful character study of the modern Australian soldier - war fighter, peacekeeper, street-level diplomat and aid-worker.