“This is not a book about one of the 64 VC winners in WW1, nor about any of the diggers who won a medal, but of an ordinary Australian who joined up and had a hell of a war, like hundreds of thousands of his mates. Tracee’s writing has you reliving the war with her grandfather Albert, as if he wrote those letters through her. You laugh with him, you weep with him, you face the gross stupidities with him and you just survive, as he did.

These letters are put into context within the broader war by a narrator.

By the end of the book I felt they were tougher men back then than we are today and we are the poorer for it.”

– Gordon Clarke author “This Smuttee Squadron”

“Aptly titled ‘One Hell at a Time’, the poignancy and laconic humour of 18 year old soldier Albert’s letters home juxtaposed with the tragic WW1 historical consequences of inept British military commanders using men as “expected wastage’, Tracee Spiby makes history accessible for today’s reader. Effectively, she transitions from Albert’s letters home to military facts of those events, giving a context for readers weak on history. The strength is the character of Albert who changes into the man Alby, by war’s end and who was based on the writer’s grandfather.

Spiby acknowledges the useless, senseless bloodbath, but offers hope by portraying individual courage amongst the young soldiers.

Informative, imaginative viewpoints like querying the impact of Gavrilo Princip, the assassin of the Arch Duke, who started the chain of WW1 chaos.

Tracee researched and workshopped this book thoroughly and it shows in attention-getting questions, intriguing opening paragraphs, military facts and the laconic humour. Many family historians write about their ancestors, but this wartime insight is for the general reader who never met this genuine ‘anonymous’ hero, 18 year old Albert, but would like to.”

– Hazel Edwards OAM Author of over 250 books including ‘There’s a Hippopotamus on our Roof Eating Cake’

“Too many times of late you see mass produced histories of Australia’s experiences during times of war. Most are factually correct, but lacking the personal empathy and warmth that will connect us with the overall story.

Then we come across an absolute gem that has been written from the heart, with all the love and sincerity that only a family member of a veteran can produce.

Tracee Spiby has produced such a gem of heartfelt devotion about an average Aussie digger from the 46th Battalion 1st AIF. ‘One Hell at a Time’ is the story of Tracee’s grandfather Albert Henry Spiby’s time in the 46th during WW1. Written in the form of letters to home and actual events, it will immerse you in the personal story of Albert and his journey with the 46th. It will take you back in time with Albert and his mates, with the actual tragedies and victories of the Battalion gleaned from unit diaries and other histories that are now available to the public.

To my knowledge, this is just the second known published work about the 46th Battalion 1st AIF and will prove to be an important part of any military historian’s library.

Sit back, relax and enjoy this well written and informative book on Albert and his mates in the 46th as much as I did. You won’t be disappointed.

– Ian Polanski Author of We Were The 46th. The History of the 46th Battalion in the Great War of 1914-18

Albert Spiby had just turned 18 when he signed up to fight in the Great War in 1915. He was not a ‘hero ’in the traditional sense. He didn’t receive special awards for bravery or gallantry. He did what hundreds of thousands of other Australians did. His job.

But when he volunteered, he couldn’t have known that he would be regarded as ‘expected wastage’ by callous incompetent British Generals. Like many of the hundreds of thousands of Australians who enlisted, Albert was expendable and sent from one hell to the next.

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If you’d like a signed copy of One Hell at a Time, email me at [email protected] I am also happy to sign the book with a special message if it is a gift for someone special.

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The Author

The Author

Undeniably a country girl, Tracee has lived all her life in central Victoria, working in various fields, including as a small business operator, Adult Education, Community Development and Child Protection.

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