'Gallipoli' by L. A. Carlyon

[George Armstrong Custer]

Yes, I bought a copy back in August, and agree entirely with your sentiments and assessment of this fine book. As you say, it's more than a military history. Carlyon is particularly good on the meaning of Gallipoli in the creation of an Australian national identity, a legacy which sees ever more young Aussies making the pilgrimage to Anzac cove for Anzac day services. It's also refreshing that an Australian author can so evenhandedly redress the anti-British bias of Peter Weir's wonderfully shot but skewed opus. I believe the book has now been released as a paperback.

Ciao,

GAC

[Paul Reed]

It is a very good book, and the author is fair-dinkum bloke as well; Jacky Plateeuw and myself has the pleasure of showing him the Western Front last summer, in preparation for his next volume of the AIF on this battlefront... which I eagerly await!

[Desmond7]

Rats (Dick dastardley) - I had vouchers for Waterstones for XMAS. Went and bought some 18th history century stuff - and this one was half price! Am I right?

Still, I've got another tenner's worth.... I'm willing to put another ten spot of my own hard earned on to it .. point me a great book in that price range?

[MartinWills]

There is already a lengthy review thread for this volume. Perhaps a kindly moderator would merge them?

http://www.1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=5331

[michaeldr]

"Gallipoli" by L. A. Carlyon. Paperback published by Bantam Books. Price UKP 9.99

First published in Australia by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Limited 2001.

747 pages including Endnotes/Index etc;14 maps and 32 pages of illustrations.

Desmond,

You're there, and with a penny change too!

Regards,

Michael D.R.

[Geoff Parker]

I have just finished reading "Gallipoli" and I found it easy to read and interesting,

although it tends to follow Anzac more that the other fronts. This is the first book

I've read on the campaign so I had problems getting to grips with the topography

and found the maps in the book lacking.

What Carlyon did drive home to me was the total "Balls-up" of the whole campaign.

Senior Offices going to their yachts or back to Murdos in the middle of an

engagement because they were in a huff, leaving their troops to fight an

undirected battle. He also dispells the notion that is was only British commanders

that cocked things up.

I would recommend the book to anyone to read for an unbiased view of the

campaign.

Geoff

[paul guthrie]

It is amazing how many WW1 books are very badly mapped. A fine relatively new book by an American, forget his name, Isonzo is one of the very worst but a great read.

On Gallipoli the best I have seen is by Canadian historian Tim Travers, Gallipoli 1915. He did extensive research in French and Turkish archives and has new information, utterly destroys the myth that another attempt to force the straits would have worked because they were out of shells. well they had thousands. He also shoots one down about how close the British came to seizing heights at Suvla, I will not name the hill, called it Lala Baba last time and that is real wrong! That was taken almost immediately, it's a range beyond Chocolate Hill I think. Anyway, point is there has been a belief Brits almost beat Turks there, archives show Turks had been there some time.

The book does not continue into fall & evacuation.

He has 2 relatives still there.

I just realized this is an old thread! Brain ****! The range is Tekke Tepe, it's all here. I am going to buy this book.

[Mark A]

Agree with you Paul and Geoff, the maps were poor. Had to keep scrambling back through the book to find the relevent maps.

I've just bought Battleground Europe's Gully Ravine on the back of reading this book... and I can feel a Gallipoli trip coming on.

M

[mcderms]

I visited Gallipoli two years ago and standing at the Nek and on top of Chunuk Bair, I just couldn't imagine how anyone could fight a campaign there. It's taken LA Carlyons masterwork to explain to me although it all still sounds like madness. You really have to be have been there to understand the book fully - it's the most impossible terrain for a campaign imaginable and armies throughout history have bypassed it.

The only (tiny) criticism is that in spending most of its time on the Anzac experience, the book supports more myths than it sets out to debunk. More detail on the Helles landing versus Anzac beach would have been good as these were the mosr chaotic and bloody actions of the whole campaign.

I can also recommend 'All the Kings men' for any interested in one of the most tragic British episodes of the campaign.

[MartinWills]

I visited Gallipoli two years ago and standing at the Nek and on top of Chunuk Bair, I just couldn't imagine how anyone could fight a campaign there. It's taken LA Carlyons masterwork to explain to me although it all still sounds like madness. You really have to be have been there to understand the book fully - it's the most impossible terrain for a campaign imaginable and armies throughout history have bypassed it.

Whilst it might be fair to describe the Anzac sector as "impossible" terrain these comments fail to reflect that the Helles and Suvla sectors were completely different in the form of terrain - indeed this variety and closeness is one of the things that makes the peninsula so fascinating to visit.

It is also true to say that had the landings and advance (at Anzac) taken the form that was originally intended the advance would not have been so tough in terms of territory. There might have been a different result and there certainly would have been different problems.

But that's the benefit of hindsight ......

[Edward_N_Kelly]

As I understand it publication is sometime mid-2004 in Australia; but don't quote me on that. As for size, I have no idea.

Given that the next Chief of Army Conference in Australia (in October 2004) is on the raising of expeditionary forces (australian ones that is) I wonder if it will be "launched" then ?

Edward

[Ste]

Gallipoli, by L.A. Carlyon (2001).

A brief review:

This, I declare, is a masterpiece. Carlyon has produced that rarest of books, the instant classic. His research is meticulous, his prose efficient and at times beautiful. His background as a journalist comes through in a positive way, as his serious analysis is allied with vivid descrpition and an eye for a story - I say that in the nicest sense.

Although rather ANZAC centric - you will find many more mentions of Ballarat than Bradford, and much greater interest in the character and background of ANZAC troops than the British - Carlyon is scrupulously balanced in his judgements on the troops and commanders of all nationalities. Not for him the inaccurate stereotypes that all the lions were from the southern hemisphere, whilst all the donkeys from the UK. This does both him and the story great credit.

Carlyon brings the campaign to life, providing an account that grips both historians and laymen alike; in this sense it is perhaps similar to Beevor's Stalingrad. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Ste

[AndyMacdonald]

Gallipoli, by L.A. Carlyon (2001).

A brief review:

This, I declare, is a masterpiece. Carlyon has produced that rarest of books, the instant classic. His research is meticulous, his prose efficient and at times beautiful. His background as a journalist comes through in a positive way, as his serious analysis is allied with vivid descrpition and an eye for a story - I say that in the nicest sense.

Although rather ANZAC centric - you will find many more mentions of Ballarat than Bradford, and much greater interest in the character and background of ANZAC troops than the British - Carlyon is scrupulously balanced in his judgements on the troops and commanders of all nationalities. Not for him the inaccurate stereotypes that all the lions were from the southern hemisphere, whilst all the donkeys from the UK. This does both him and the story great credit.

Carlyon brings the campaign to life, providing an account that grips both historians and laymen alike; in this sense it is perhaps similar to Beevor's Stalingrad. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Ste

I agree absolutely. Carlyon has succeeded where so many British historians have failed. He has made the Gallipoli campaign accessable and readable to the mass market. He is a writer of the highest order, which is usually a quality that academics lack. They are, however, quite good typists.

Andy M