In the rough Australian vernacular that became his signature style, C. J. Dennis tells the story of the courtship and marriage of larrikin Bill and the lively Doreen. The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke was Dennis's most successful and popular book of verse. In its various editions it has sold nearly 300,000 copies and has been made into a silent film, a sound film, a stage play and a musical. The 1916 Pocket Edition had an initial print run of 10,000 copies.

This edition, published to commemorate the centenary of the end of World War One, has been minted from one of eight extremely rare books of verse originally published by Angus & Robertson as little reminders of home for soldiers to slip into a pocket and carry through the fighting. It features original layout, illustrations by Hal Gye, advertising and blurbs, as well as a dust jacket missing on nearly all of the rare extant original editions.