Play Up, Play Up and Play the Game: Australian Sport During the First and Second World Wars

40 page manuscript. The manuscript examines the relationship between sport and war through the Australian experience. Section 1 of the manuscript examines the role sport played in both wars in three ways: Use as a metaphor for war, use as a distraction from the wars, and the effect of war on sport. The second section of the manuscript examines a number of specific stories relating to sport and war: the sport experiences of prisoners of war, Keith Truscott, the use of sport and sportsmen for recruitment, the Melbourne Cup, and the importance of divisional sporting competitions. One appendix is included and examines ideas for further study and important sources for the study of sport and war.