Gallipoli- The fatal shore

[spike10764]

Gallipoli- The fatal shore

By Harvey Broadbent

A book about the ill fated attack on the Dardenelles in 1915, by a British born author who had lived in Turkey for 2 years and moved to Australia. He sets out to paint a broader picture than usually comes from books on Gallipoli, drawing on Turkish, British and Anzac sources to attempt to tell the story of Gallipoli in balance, without rancour and with a sense of balance. He succeeds, in my opinion.

By it's nature the books sources are mainly Australian and Turkish,with some British added in, but I cannot complain about that, such is the nature of the Gallipoli campaign. Britain has it's Somme and Passchendaele, moments of strain, sacrifice and loss and Australia and New Zealand have Gallipoli.

The book follows the campaign from start to end, introducing the main characters, the good and the great and mainly, to my great joy, the ordinary soldiers. Their diaries form an interesting part of this book from Private Frank Parker, 5th Battalion, A.I.F to Corporal Adil, 2nd Battalion, 27th Regiment, 5th Ottoman Army through Lancashire Fusiliers who were present at The 6VC's before breakfast, to the truth of the myth of the Vanished Battalion. The comprehensive maps and amazing photographs really bring this campaign to life in the pages.

What the book really succeeded with for me, was the final chapter, it brought an understanding of just what Gallipoli means to Anzacs, Australian and New Zealanders. How the notion of their nationhood and national character were formed in this terrible experience. I had never really understood before how this was their Somme (or as the Somme is to me) and then some. This book has made me understand where the Anzac Day came from and why it is so special to that part of the world, any book that brings understanding cannot be a bad thing. The authors experience and knowledge make themselves known on every page of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I had not realised the affect of the Peter Weir film Gallipoli with Mel Gibson, on the Anzac phenomenon at a time when it was, like the Somme at the same time, in danger of being cast aside as old history( in Britain it was not a much promoted film) and the fact that until recently the Turks had not regarded Gallipoli in the same light, until the Anzac resurgence has made them want to know more. Maybe in Britain too one day, we will show more interest in this campaign and give it it's rightful place in the history of the Great War.

Spike

[Guest vauxhaul]

Well said Spike.

Personally I would take you, not Broadbent, to task on one issue. The Somme, particularly Pozieres, and Paschendaele, particularly the Menin Road & Polygon Wood are deeply etched into the Australian psyche.

Incidently, Broadbent has done a number of documentaries for the A {Australian} BC. Frank Parker is a star contributor.

Regards

VP

[spike10764]

Well said Spike.

Personally I would take you, not Broadbent, to task on one issue. The Somme, particularly Pozieres, and Paschendaele, particularly the Menin Road & Polygon Wood are deeply etched into the Australian psyche.

Regards

VP

That's not what I said, I tried to say it struck me how Gallipoli was the defining moment in how the Anzacs view the war, as the Somme is to me. I do not underplay the Anzac involvement at the places you mention, I was merely trying to find a comparison I could relate to

[Guest vauxhaul]

Spike

That is precisely what you DID say.

My unreserved apology, yours was well said, mine was not.

Vp