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Hell's Bells and Mademoiselles: A True Story of Life, Love and Larrikinism on the Western Front Hardcover

4.6 5 ratings

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Language

English
Publisher

HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
Dimensions

5.63 x 0.98 x 7.56 inches
ISBN-10

073229665X
ISBN-13

978-0732296650
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Product details

Language ‏ : ‎ English
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 073229665X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0732296650
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.63 x 0.98 x 7.56 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #9,250,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Ian C. Purdie

Absolutely Brilliant

Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2009

Sadly, the only copy I have seen and read belongs to my elderly friend Jean Willet who also happens to be the authors daughter.

Joe Maxwell's rivetting, yet always entertaining book "Hells Bells and Mademoiselles". Written in 1932, how the "hell" does any reviewer do justice to a book of this calibre? Pun intended but read on and see what I mean.

Joe Maxwell V.C., M.C. and bar, D.C.M. was a true living legend in his own time, for a very young man that is. Exceptional in fact.

Not simply a legend over a long and fruitful lifetime as most legends usually become, although I'm certain Joe certainly added much further to his life after his return from WW1. Writing this book alone must be considered further accomplishment. I'm speaking of a man who rose to greatness by the time he was only 22 years of age, greatness which no doubt was imposed by the circumstances of the day.

"Hells Bells and Mademoiselles" is Joe's quite candid and, often hilariously funny account of his experiences between 1915 - 1919. My copy of this book [Angus & Robertson, 4th edition - 1936], was lent to me by my friend Jean Willet who also happens to be Joe's daughter. This book, as has Joe's medals, is destined for repository in the Australian War Memorial.

I have completed this review on my web site for no other reason than simply because there is absolutely nothing in the public domain on the internet to record "Hells Bells and Mademoiselles" and its precious contents. Indeed there is little record of Joe himself beyond stark facts available from public documents and records, certainly nothing revealing the inner man himself.

It would be a great tragedy if this information were not available to future Australian students researching Gallipoli, the Western Front and Australia's role during WW1.

Ian C. Purdie VK2TIP

6 people found this helpful

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John E. Larsen

Victoria Cross Winner

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2013

This review is based on the 2012 reprint.

Maxwell considered himself British so he enlisted for patriotic reasons. He served from Gallipoli to the end of the war in France with the 18th Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd Australian Division. He had remarkable luck during this period, apparently not receiving any serious wounds, while being decorated for bravery multiple times, including with the Victoria Cross.

Maxwell was still a teenager when he entered combat. His unit arrived on Gallipoli in August and after looking at the shore he reacted with the thought of `what a damn fool I've been to come here'. While his battalion suffered notably, Maxwell wrote little on this phase. Mostly he seems to have been a stretcher bearer but he does write briefly on having to dig in amongst Turkish dead, so it was no holiday.

The bulk of Maxwell's war service then was on the Western Front. He is in many battles and ultimately becomes an officer. The most notable thing about his account is the enormous loss of life. There were many ways to die and he is witness to some extraordinary things. One shell kills fourteen men, at other times he is the only surviving officer. Living and dying was a matter of luck and the stories almost bewilder the reader. Maxwell often laments the loss of comrades, especially the `stalwarts' and at the end there are literally only a handful remaining of the 300 men that formed the company in 1915. He records many tragedies, including some German ones.

As for combat, the most significant passages cover Ypres and then the battles of 1918. Most of these are on the offensive and include attacking trenches and blockhouses. While there is a considerable amount in terms of casualties suffered and the gory nature of war Maxwell is almost quiet on his own personal doings. For instance, he writes of some of the events the lead to his winning the Victoria Cross, like being captured while attempting to secure the surrender of a German position. Yet in his escape he fails to mention that he killed two Germans with a pistol he had hidden. This may be because of modesty, even shame/regret but earlier he revealed mistakenly shooting dead a German who was attempting to surrender. Indeed, he almost seems to be more observer than combatant. It seems strange but perhaps it reflects the tone and style of the times. Even so, it was quite a seller in its day.

A lot is written about out of the line antics, including being in the company of French ladies. This is never sordid but he does go into quite a bit of detail about who he saw and when and so on. I'd have preferred a bit more of this attention being given to the Front but I guess it was all very remarkable to such a young man and he recorded his whole adventure. There is also a lot about friends and quite a few members of the battalion are mentioned by name. At the end though the message is clear that war is an awful tragedy and Maxwell came home with many demons. This was a worthy book to republish. The writing style is certainly a bit dated but the realities of the Australian experience in WW1 are made very clear. Recommended 4 stars.