The Lost Boys

By: Paul Byrnes

Narrated by: Simon Harvey

In the First World War of 1914–1918, thousands of boys across Australia and New Zealand lied about their age, forged a parent’s signature and left to fight on the other side of the world. Though some were as young as thirteen, they soon found they could die as well as any man. Like Peter Pan’s lost boys, they have remained forever young. These are their stories.

This extraordinary book captures the incredible and previously untold stories of forty Anzac boys who fought in the First World War, from Gallipoli to the Armistice. These tales are both heartbreaking and rousing, full of daring, ingenuity, recklessness, random horror and capricious luck.

A unique perspective on the First World War, The Lost Boys is military history made deeply personal, a powerful homage to youthful bravery and a poignant reminder of the sacrifice of war.

Young Lives cut short

This is a good book. It’s a bit tedious in that each “lost boy” is read off in almost a list fashion, and very mundane details aren’t left out. It’s very fascinating information as each young man has such different backgrounds, but they all lied about their ages to get into the war. It’s all so tragic. Simon Harvey is a very talented Narrator and keeps things moving as best he can.