Witnesses to War is a landmark history of Australian war journalism covering the regional conflicts of the nineteenth century to the major conflicts of the twentieth: World War I, World War II, Vietnam and Bosnia through to recent and ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fay Anderson and Richard Trembath look at how journalists reported the horrors and politics of war, the rise of the celebrity journalist, issues of censorship and the ethics of 'embedding'.

Interviews with over 40 leading journalists and photographers reveal the challenges of covering wars and the impact of the violence they witness, the fear and exhilaration, the regrets and successes, the private costs and personal dangers.

Witnesses to War examines issues with continued and contemporary relevance, including the genesis of the Anzac ideal and its continued use; the representation of enemy and race and how technology has changed the nature of conflict reporting.