AustLit

Editor's note: Charles Bean was instrumental in creating the Anzac Legend, first as the official Australian war correspondent with the AIF and later as war historian. His epic Official History consolidated the view that Australia came to 'know itself' during the years of foreign fighting. Bean admired the battle performance of the Diggers, but was less impressed by their demeanour behind-the-lines. Appalled by the behaviour of Australian troops stationed near Cairo before the Dardanelles campaign, Bean voiced his concerns in an open letter to the Australian press serving notice of the return home of the incorrigibles. What to Know in Egypt is Bean's admonitory guidebook for the touring soldiers.