An original and disturbing account of the role of imperial manipulation and the connivance of Australian political leaders in the nation's premature leap into war. In a crowded historical field, Douglas Newton's attention to the political dimensions of Australia's (and Britain's) military commitment stands out. Meticulously researched and engagingly written, Hell-Bent highlights the dire logic of Australia's condition as a self-governing colonial dependency and the profound cost of the burden of empire. --Marilyn Lake, Professor in History and ARC Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne; President of the Australian Historical Association