Walk a War in My Shoes

De: Murray Ernest Hall

Narrado por: Geoffrey Boyes

On August 25, 1895, Ernest Alfred Hall was born into a pioneering Australian family that lived on a 313-acre property called "Cloverdale" near the hamlet of Beech Forest, south of the Otway Ranges, some 200 kilometres south west of Melbourne, Victoria. As a child, it seemed he would be destined for the life of a farmer in a country that was just realising its independence through Federation, yet his path was to be diverted by the cataclysmic events that befell Europe and the British Empire.

So it was, that one month short of his 20th birthday, Ernest caught the train to Melbourne and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. At only 5' 3", he was never going to be the biggest soldier in the army, but as his father said to him, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, son, but the size of the fight in the dog."

Like so many, Ernest Hall embarked for the war to end all wars. Unlike so many, his letters and records survived. This is his story.

©2018 Murray Ernest Hall (P)2021 Leschenault Press

Captivating story; flawless narration

I found that I couldn’t stop listening to this story of a simple Australian private engaged in the horror of WWI. I came to like him and even though I knew how it had to end, I found myself hoping the end would be different.
The crucial element of my engagement with the story is the narration of Geoffrey Boyes. Hi accent and timbre of voice certainly provide authenticity and ease of listening. But more than that, how he carried the youthful innocence, heartbreak, bitterness and range of feelings and thoughts of Ernest drew me in to a sort of friendship with the character. I’ll look for other audiobooks narrated by him.

One of the best books I’ve read

Listening to Ernest’s story was an absolute privilege. The story line was fascinating, well paced and so well researched It was joy to listen to. The narration was perfect!! Well done Murray Hall, it’s one of the best books I have in my audible collection.