Gallipoli [Paperback]

Alan Moorehead (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 1996

The Allied campaign against Gallipoli began in 1915 when the Turks went into World War I on Germany's side. Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty in the British War Cabinet, conceived the plan of smashing through the Dardanelles with a fleet of old battleships and reopening the straits to Russian shipping.

For years the Turks had been beaten in every battle they fought, and the project stood a reasonable chance of success.

But what happened in the next nine months was a nightmare of lost opportunities, confused planning, and military incompetence.

Here is an epic of gallantry and folly -- the whole story of the most controversial campaign of modern times.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

9 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

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The Allied campaign against Gallipoli began in 1915 when the Turks went into World War I on Germany's side. Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty in the British War Cabinet, conceived the plan of smashing through the Dardanelles with a fleet of old battleships and reopening the straits to Russian shipping.

For years the Turks had been beaten in every battle they fought, and the project stood a reasonable chance of success.

But what happened in the next nine months was a nightmare of lost opportunities, confused planning, and military incompetence.

Here is an epic of gallantry and folly -- the whole story of the most controversial campaign of modern times.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1st Ballantine Books trade ed edition (September 29, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345410408
• ISBN-13: 978-0345410405
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,261,104 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Classic on Gallipoli, July 22, 2002

By 

R. J Szasz "Rod Szasz" (Tokyo, Japan Japan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gallipoli (Paperback)

Anything Moorehead wrote was golden, but this is arguably one of his best books. This has been reissued numerous times and it remains a classic. It is particularly good in its description of of the initial naval campaign and the general strategic overview. Although Gallipoli has rightly served as the emblematic battle where it is popularly thought that ANZACS were unduly sacrificed by the British in attempts at vainglory, Moorehead would be the first to acknowledge that there is no evidence that Australians were selected for slaughter over any other troops. The British (and most World War I strategist from all nations) were equal opportunity killers. In reality there were many more British troops committed, and killed, than ANZAC troops, and French losses were also considerable. Moreover the strategic aims were laudable. They were very nearly achieved. The bungling was not in the design, but in the fact that it was allowed to continue long after the jig was up, the British contained on the Penninsula, without a faint hope of forcing the straits with naval power. Moorehead, although an Australian, never bashes the British at all in this book. His exposition of Sir Ian Hamilton is also very incisive and offers a real glimpse into the mind of this man (a commander who felt for his troops, more than most in WWI) The fact that he was sacked, never to wield command in the field, is also testament to the fact that mistakes were made. Churchill's role is less clear. His initial idea was brilliant. He also did not want to commit land troops, thinking it too costly. He believed that the Royal Navy and her allies could force the straits and be shelling Constantinople within days.... And they very nearly did it. Unfortunately as Moorehead recounts, the political pressure of losing large, expensive battleships to mines was a price the British Cabinet would not allow Churchill to indulge and the pressure for a land based campaign therefore rose. It is really a pity because Churchill wanted one more chance to force the straits from the sea. There is every indication that he would have been successful and the costly land war averted. Plus ca change for Churchill.

PS: The cover photograph in this edition actually shows Canadian troops going over the top in a latter Somme Battle. Seems they could have easily found some original British or French pictures from Gallipoli itself??! I guess cover art was more important.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History made vivid and exciting, April 19, 2000

By 

Ian Muldoon (Coffs Harbour, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gallipoli (Wordsworth Collection) (Paperback)

I first read this text at age 19 in 1960 and was most impressed with its narrative skill and ability to bring to life the historical characters involved. I have since reread it and remain satisfied with Mr Moorehead's ability to make the events vivid and touching. I was especially impressed with his re-enactment of the actual landing, the incredible amount of equipment the youngsters had to carry, the reason the ships remained so distant from shore (afraid of touching bottom)the sense of distance those in charge had from the events they were supposed to be controlling, and the tragic sadness of it all. I was also impressed with the amazing courage he described the Turks as having so that the reader is not given the impression that the allies were just "better chaps" than the "Turkish infidel". Now at the close of the fifties in racist Australia at the time of communist and Asian indeed foreign paranoia this was refreshing and somewhat liberal to a young mind. One of the best and most enjoyable reads on World War One.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a beautiful read, but..., April 30, 2008

By 

Michael Buck "mike b" (wisconsin, usa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gallipoli (Perennial Classics) (Paperback)

Alan Moorehead's Gallipoli is prose at its finest. this is beautifully written, and the scenes of battle come to life, as well as the everyday life of the allied soldier. However this book is now over 50 years old and much new information has come to light, particularly on the Turkish side. Also, many of the battles fought themselves, such as the battles at Krithia, Kum Kale, The Farm, The Nek, etc... on and on, are either completely ignored or scaled down and condensed so that you truly learn nothing about them. For a beginner who wishes to study Gallipoli this book is fine. For its superb writing style and life like narrative this book is superb. However for those wishing to learn the whole story of the Gallipoli battle read Les Carlyon's Gallipoli or Robert Rhodes James Gallipoli. Both of these books are excellent and well written, and both cover far more of the campaign as a whole then does Moorehead's book.