George Franki & Clyde Slatyer. Mad Harry: Australia's Most Decorated Soldier.

Simon & Schuster Kangaroo Press ISBN 0731811887 paperback $29.95

Henry William 'Harry' Murray VC CMG DSO DCM is Australia's highest decorated soldier. Murray with the VC, two DSOs and the DCM was the only Australian VC recipient other than Joe Maxwell to receive four gallantry awards. He was also awarded the CMG for distinguished service, four mentions in dispatches and a French award.

Two thirds of the book is an excellent biography of Harry Murray that starts with his ancestors including convicts, who were early settlers of Northern Tasmania. Murray left the struggling family farm in 1908 to seek work in Western Australia. At the outbreak of War he enlisted in the 16th (WA) Battalion. At Blackboy Hill Camp he joined the machine-gun section where he became a close friend of Percy Black. Both Murray and Black were each awarded the DCM on Gallipoli before Murray joined the 13th Battalion in August and was commissioned. Murray and Black were both awarded the DSO for Mouquet Farm in 1916. They are two of only nine Australians to awarded both the DSO and the DCM. The action for which Murray received the VC was for the capture of Stormy Trench in early 1917. At the First Battle of Bullecourt on 11 April 1917 Murray received the bar to the DSO but Black was killed in action. In March 1918, three and a half years after joining the AIF as a private, Murray was given command of the 4th Australian Machine-Gun Battalion.

After the war Murray rarely attended Anzac Day services or unit reunions, and avoided the limelight. However between 1929 and 1939 he provided a regular series of article for Reveille which are reprinted in the latter third of the book. The articles cover Gallipoli and France, training and tanks at Bullecourt and the death of Percy Black. The authors are commended for bringing these well written and informative articles to a new audience.

The authors research reveals new details of the life and character of Australia's highest decorated fighting soldier. This new VC biography is highly recommended.