{"product_id":"2026200006833-secondhand-the-twenty-thousand-thieves","title":"The Twenty Thousand Thieves","description":"\u003cp\u003eEdition: 20th impression\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good                          \u003cbr\u003eJacket: Worn\/faded, no tears\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good                  \u003cbr\u003eMarkings: Previous owner\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA gritty and unflinching work of Australian war fiction, The Twenty Thousand Thieves chronicles the experiences of young Australian soldiers fighting in the Middle East and North Africa during World War II, drawing heavily on Lambert's own service in the 2nd AIF. The novel presents the brutal realities of combat alongside the camaraderie, disillusionment, and moral complexity that define life on the front lines, rendered in a raw, unsentimental prose that refuses to romanticize war. Lambert illustrates how ordinary men are shaped — and often broken — by the machinery of conflict, capturing the larrikin spirit of the Australian soldier while exposing the dehumanizing cost of military life. First published in 1952, the novel was groundbreaking in its frank portrayal of violence and sexuality, and it remains a landmark of Australian war literature, standing alongside the finest works in that tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48810588471515,"sku":"2026200006833-SECONDHAND","price":30.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/ce99c5d3-1836-4ac9-bdca-162bf2975bcd.png?v=1779805627","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200006833-secondhand-the-twenty-thousand-thieves","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}