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Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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y
Dust of Uruzgan
Crows Nest
:
Allen and Unwin
,
2016
9613614
2016
single work
autobiography
'A personal story of Australia's war in Afghanistan as told by Fred Smith, star of 'Australian Story', Australian diplomat in Afghanistan and Australian Defence Forces favourite singer and composer of 'Dust of Uruzgan'.
'Fred Smith has been described as 'Australia's secret weapon' in international diplomacy. As a career diplomat, he served for two years in southern Afghanistan. Working alongside Australian soldiers in Uruzgan Province, Fred's second career as a musician came to the fore, his guitar serving as a bridge not only to the troops, but also to the people and tribal leaders of that war-torn region. His song, 'Dust of Uruzgan', captured the hearts of many serving in Afghanistan, and 'Sapper's Lullaby' has become an anthem for soldiers and their families. His acclaimed album, Dust of Uruzgan, earned him comparisons to Eric Bogle, John Schumann and Don Walker.
'Now, with Australian forces out of Uruzgan, this gripping book is the first comprehensive on-the-ground account of Australia's involvement there. Part memoir, part history, part eyewitness reportage, it offers a sympathetic explanation of an obscure and impoverished province where tribal leaders conspire against one another in a society devastated by 35 years of warfare. With remarkable insight and humour, The Dust of Uruzgan recounts the setbacks and successes of a contingent of Australian soldiers, diplomats and aid workers struggling to make a difference in a place where truth and clarity were often buried, and where too many young Australians perished in the dust of Uruzgan.
''I think a real strength of Fred's music and the way he writes his songs is that he's actually experienced a lot of what he's writing about. He's actually walked in the same footsteps of those soldiers he's writing about . . . He ate, he slept, he bathed, he worked, he lived with them and when soldiers died, he mourned with them.' COLONEL JASON BLAIN, quoted on Australian Story' (Publication summary)
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Singing Diplomat Says War is Worth the Cost
2011
single work
column
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 3 September 2011; (p. 4) -
Soundtrack to a Distant Slaughter
2011
single work
column
— Appears in: The Saturday Age , 30 July 2011; (p. 19) -
Songs of Laughter and Experience Among the Diggers
2011
single work
column
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 28 July 2011; (p. 3)
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Songs of Laughter and Experience Among the Diggers
2011
single work
column
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 28 July 2011; (p. 3) -
Soundtrack to a Distant Slaughter
2011
single work
column
— Appears in: The Saturday Age , 30 July 2011; (p. 19) -
Singing Diplomat Says War is Worth the Cost
2011
single work
column
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 3 September 2011; (p. 4) -
y
Dust of Uruzgan
Crows Nest
:
Allen and Unwin
,
2016
9613614
2016
single work
autobiography
'A personal story of Australia's war in Afghanistan as told by Fred Smith, star of 'Australian Story', Australian diplomat in Afghanistan and Australian Defence Forces favourite singer and composer of 'Dust of Uruzgan'.
'Fred Smith has been described as 'Australia's secret weapon' in international diplomacy. As a career diplomat, he served for two years in southern Afghanistan. Working alongside Australian soldiers in Uruzgan Province, Fred's second career as a musician came to the fore, his guitar serving as a bridge not only to the troops, but also to the people and tribal leaders of that war-torn region. His song, 'Dust of Uruzgan', captured the hearts of many serving in Afghanistan, and 'Sapper's Lullaby' has become an anthem for soldiers and their families. His acclaimed album, Dust of Uruzgan, earned him comparisons to Eric Bogle, John Schumann and Don Walker.
'Now, with Australian forces out of Uruzgan, this gripping book is the first comprehensive on-the-ground account of Australia's involvement there. Part memoir, part history, part eyewitness reportage, it offers a sympathetic explanation of an obscure and impoverished province where tribal leaders conspire against one another in a society devastated by 35 years of warfare. With remarkable insight and humour, The Dust of Uruzgan recounts the setbacks and successes of a contingent of Australian soldiers, diplomats and aid workers struggling to make a difference in a place where truth and clarity were often buried, and where too many young Australians perished in the dust of Uruzgan.
''I think a real strength of Fred's music and the way he writes his songs is that he's actually experienced a lot of what he's writing about. He's actually walked in the same footsteps of those soldiers he's writing about . . . He ate, he slept, he bathed, he worked, he lived with them and when soldiers died, he mourned with them.' COLONEL JASON BLAIN, quoted on Australian Story' (Publication summary)
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cAfghanistan,cSouth Asia, South and East Asia, Asia,
- 2010s