Charles Bean trained as a lawyer and teacher, but became a newspaper writer and in 1909 was based in western News South Wales to write about the wool industry, where he became inspired by the strong qualities of rural people. He was selected to accompany the AIF as official war correspondent in 1914 and was the only correspondent to cover the campaign to its end. Bean was with the troops in Egypt, the Gallipoli landing, and the Western Front.

He was later appointed to produce the official history of Australia in the war and wrote six of the twelve volumes himself. With his first hand knowledge of the troops and their experiences, his descriptions helped create the ANZAC legend. The books, with their covers 'the colour of dried blood', can now be read online and searched by keyword at http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/

During World War One Charles Bean was involved in putting together The ANZAC book when a number of serving soldiers were taken off duty to enable them to record their stories, poems and illustrations of the Gallipoli experience, which was published in 1916, and which was reprinted in March 2010.

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