Pompey Elliott. Ross McMullin. 2014.

Pompey Elliott was a remarkable Australian. During the Great War he was a charismatic, controversial and outstandingly successful military leader. An accomplished tactician and ‘the bravest of the brave’, he was renowned for never sending anyone anywhere he was not prepared to go himself. As a result, no Australian general was more revered by those he led or more famous outside his own command.

A man of unimpeachable integrity and unwavering commitment, he was also forthright and volatile. His tempestuousness generated a host of anecdotes that amused his men and disconcerted his superiors. Pompey Elliott vividly examines Elliott’s origins and youth, his peacetime careers as a lawyer and a politician, and his achievements - as well as the controversies he aroused during his years as a soldier.