Gallipoli: New Perspectives on the MEF, 1915-16

[SpencerJ]

In the review thread of Courage without Glory the subject of the next (edited) volume within the Helion Wolverhampton series came up and a chapter list was requested.

The next volume is Gallipoli: New Perspectives on the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force 1915-16 edited by Michael LoCicero and Rhys Crawley and is due for publication early 2017.

The current chapter list is as follows. Please note the list is subject to change. With 22 chapters, this will be the biggest in the series by far!

• • Stephen Chambers: POWs
  • Alexandra Churchill: The Evacuation
  • Jeff Cleverly: Suvla Bay
  • Rhys Crawley: Royal Navy
  • Brian Curragh: 10th Irish Division
  • Katherine Swinfen-Eady: 29th Division Staff
  • Mel Hampton: First Battle of Krithia
  • Peter Hart: Royal Naval Division
  • Simon House: Corps Expeditionnaire d'Orient
  • Gavin Hughes: Irish Regiments
  • James Peter Hurst: ANZAC Landing
  • Rob Langham: Royal Artillery
  • Michael LoCicero: Krithia Nullah Action, Winter 1915

• • Ross Mahoney: Aviation
  • Linda Parker: Chaplains
  • Simon Peaple: Grand Strategy
  • Chris Pugsley: New Zealanders
  • Chris Roberts: Australian Brigade Command
  • John Sneddon: Ordnance and Supply
  • Rob Stevenson: 1^st Australian Division
  • Tom Williams: Territorials
  • Richard Wood & John Dixon: Tunnelers

[Guest]

In the review thread of Courage without Glory the subject of the next (edited) volume within the Helion Wolverhampton series came up and a chapter list was requested.

The next volume is Gallipoli: New Perspectives on the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force 1915-16 edited by Michael LoCicero and Rhys Crawley and is due for publication early 2017.

The current chapter list is as follows. Please note the list is subject to change. With 22 chapters, this will be the biggest in the series by far!

• • Stephen Chambers: POWs
  • Alexandra Churchill: The Evacuation
  • Jeff Cleverly: Suvla Bay
  • Rhys Crawley: Royal Navy
  • Brian Curragh: 10th Irish Division
  • Katherine Swinfen-Eady: 29th Division Staff
  • Mel Hampton: First Battle of Krithia
  • Peter Hart: Royal Naval Division
  • Simon House: Corps Expeditionnaire d'Orient
  • Gavin Hughes: Irish Regiments
  • James Peter Hurst: ANZAC Landing
  • Rob Langham: Royal Artillery
  • Michael LoCicero: Krithia Nullah Action, Winter 1915

• • Ross Mahoney: Aviation
  • Linda Parker: Chaplains
  • Simon Peaple: Grand Strategy
  • Chris Pugsley: New Zealanders
  • Chris Roberts: Australian Brigade Command
  • John Sneddon: Ordnance and Supply
  • Rob Stevenson: 1^st Australian Division
  • Tom Williams: Territorials
  • Richard Wood & John Dixon: Tunnelers

Spencer - many thanks for the heads up. It looks very interesting. I shall definitely buy a copy.

I note that the book is already destined to be the largest volume yet and things may well change.... I would be interested to know if the New Army was considered as a chapter given three K1 Divisions fought at Gallipoli? I would have thought that the 11th (Northern) Div and 13th (Western) Div might have got a look in, since the 10th (Irish) Div might overlap considerably with Irish Regiments chapter as 12 of the 15 Irish Battalions served in the 10th (Irish) Div. The 13th (Western) Div seems to be an orphan formation that is crying out for an author. Despite it being used in a rather fragmented way, there is more war diary material than the 11th (Northern) Div and the 10th (Irish) Div combined. It seems to be a rather blind spot in the historiography of Gallipoli. They were exceptionally well-served by their diarists but their voices are now silent. I am really curious to know if anyone has suggested the 13th Div at Gallipoli as an area of study.

Looking forward to the publication. Thanks for posting. MG

[Gareth Davies]

It has finally hit the streets.  And it's a meaty tome - 650 pages and 25 chapters.  It is split into 3 sections although clearly there is overlap.  The first 6 chapters cover The MEF in Battle and range from ANZAC on 25 Apr all the way through to the evacuation.  The next 12 chapters are from a section called Command and Control and cover subjects from the Campaign level down to the challenges of command at lower levels.  And the third section, Support, Enablers and Constraints rounds off the book with 7 chapters which include Chaplains, mining, medical, and POW.  

 

I have only just started reading it - I have gone straight to chapter 10 - and so I can't say much more yet but my first impressions, based on the authors and the subjects covered, are very positive.

[Gareth Davies]

Has anyone else read it? 

[alantwo]

Hi Gareth

 

Chapter 8, French participation and 22, Highland Mountain Brigade so far, thought I'd try the RND next.

 

Alan

[michaeldr]

Like the two previous contributors, I am dipping into it ... occasionally

At over two kilos, this is not a tome taken up lightly

 

[If this is a presentation style which suits you, then I can also recommend

'Palestine and World War I - Grand Strategy, Military Tactics and Culture in War'

edited by Profs., Eran Dolev, Yigal Sheffy and Haim Goren and published by Tauris in 2014]

[michaeldr]

I well remember many years ago talking to Len Sellers about the indices for his (2,400+ page) magazine RND, and Len patiently explaining to me what an exhausting and long drawn out process it was compiling these very necessary adjuncts.

 

Today some publishers seem to be employing artificial intelligence (well, artificial something or other) to do this hard labour.

 

I've just wasted some of my time looking up Maj Gen W Douglas, via the index in 'Gallipoli – New Perspectives on the MEF, 1915-16'

There are fourteen references given:

However some refer to Douglas Jerrold, to Douglas Delaney, to a General C W Douglas' 1913 Report, to someone or other's brother Douglas, and to Commander H Douglas RN

Perhaps two out of fourteen references did actually referred to the Maj Gen W Douglas in question

 

For a very expensive book from a so called reputable publisher like Helion & Co., this is absolutely appalling.