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Churchill and the Dardanelles by [Christopher M. Bell]

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Christopher M. Bell

Churchill and the Dardanelles 1st Edition, Kindle Edition

by Christopher M. Bell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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The failed naval offensive to force a passage through the Straits of the Dardanelles in 1915 drove Winston Churchill from office in disgrace and nearly destroyed his political career. For over a century, the Dardanelles campaign has been mired in myth and controversy. Many believe it was fundamentally misconceived and doomed to fail, while others see it as a brilliant concept that might have dramatically shortened the First World War and saved millions of lives.
Churchill is either the hero of the story, or the villain.

Drawing on a wide range of original documents, Christopher M. Bell shows that both perspectives are flawed. Bell provides a detailed and authoritative account of the campaign's origins and execution, explaining why the naval attack was launched, why it failed, and how it was transformed into an even more disastrous campaign on the Gallipoli peninsula. He untangles Churchill's complicated relationship with Britain's admirals, politicians, and senior civil servants, and uncovers the machinations
behind the bitter press campaign in 1915 to drive him from power.

Churchill and the Dardanelles explores the origins of the myths surrounding the ill-fated campaign, and provides the first full account of Churchill's tireless efforts in the decades after 1915 to refute his legion of critics and convince the public that the Dardanelles campaign had nearly succeeded. Largely by his own exertions, Churchill ensured that the legacy of the Dardanelles would not stop him from becoming Prime Minister in 1940.

ISBN-13

978-0198702542
Edition

1st
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

OUP Oxford
Publication date

March 10, 2017
Language

English
File size

4851 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is quite simply the best naval history book that I have read this year. Christopher Bell may not have written the last word on this still very emotive subject, but I can't imagine that anyone will be able to produce a better, more equitably balanced and authoritative account of the Dardanelles
operation than he has done. It is quite superb in virtually every way." -- Malcolm H. Murfett (Kingâs College, London), The International Journal of Maritime History

"Meticulously researched and readable account."--History of War

"Commendable."--Nigel Jones, BBC History

"Illuminating and fluent analysis of one of the most controversial and emotive episodes of the First World War."--Lawrence James, The Times

"This immaculate study of the First Lord of the Admiralty's disgrace and comeback is...likely to become the definitive work on the campaign, and Churchill's role in it. What gives the book its edge is not merely Bell's scholarship, which is rigorous, but its highly original analysis of the
aftermath...Unlike most additions to the Churchill bibliography, it is truly valuable."--Simon Heffer, The Daily Telegraph

"This is both an excellent study of the campaign itself and a good account of how memory can be utterly twisted in both deliberate and unconscious ways."--Quill and Quire, starred review

"The blame-shifting, name-calling, and finger-pointing were not stilled by an exhaustive Dardanelles Commission inquiry and its 1919 report, but should now finally come to an end a century later with the publication of this well-researched, very well-written, but above all judiciously objective book
by the distinguished naval historian Christopher M. Bell...This excellent book cuts through a century of pro- and anti-Churchill writing to reach remarkably balanced conclusions."--The Weekly Standard

"Bell's study should be the final word on the matter of Churchill's culpability for the failed campaign in the Eastern Mediterranean."--WinstonChurchill.org

--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

Christopher M. Bell is Professor of History at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He has published widely on twentieth century naval history, and is the author of The Royal Navy, Seapower and Strategy Between the Wars and Churchill and Seapower and co-editor of Naval Mutinies of the
Twentieth Century: An International Perspective and At the Crossroads Between War and Peace: The London Naval Conference of 1930.
--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B06XJ9B7X8
Publisher ‏ : ‎ OUP Oxford; 1st edition (March 10, 2017)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 10, 2017
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4851 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 457 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #695,099 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #453 in World War I History (Kindle Store)
- #578 in Military Naval History
- #1,123 in Political History (Kindle Store)

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32 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

32 global ratings

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3 star		6%
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John H Schmahl

Great book, odd sticker added

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 19, 2022

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I love this book, this is a review of the Amazon service. They added a sticker to the books cover. I was able to remove it without major damage to the cover, buy it was an odd action that could have impacted the quite of the book.

Helpful

Chris Sterling

A tempting might-have-been . . .

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 10, 2018

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Chris Bell, a Halifax-based naval historian, has taken on one of the lasting controversies of World War I--was there a way to get around the stalemate along with Western Front and, at the same time, a means of getting aid to Russia? First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill, among others, thought so: By taking Constantinople by, in turn, "forcing" a passage through the Dardanelles waterway connecting the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Serious planning began early in 1915. But for a host of reasons, the attempt was botched as Bell clearly describes here. The costly failure suffered from weak naval and army leadership on the spot and policy arguments back in London. Bell writes clearly and engagingly, commenting on such things as the personalities of key players in this drama as well as the tactics of each side. Churchill never fully overcame the criticisms of his role in the affair which cost him his admiralty post. But what he learned in 1915 proved invaluable in the crisis Britain faced 25 years later. Recommended.

2 people found this helpful

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Richard J. Barrett

front cover has a largw bent and broken!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 23, 2022

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disliked bent ahd broken front cover! liked subject matter and ease of reading! reading for pleasure!

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Mathieu B. Prevost

Setting the record straight

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 24, 2017

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A carefully researched history of one of WW1 most controversial events. The three chapters on the investigation, are one of the best studies setting the record straight. Churchill was never able to completely clear his action in 1915/1916 but this details his words and action better than anything previously published. Well done

4 people found this helpful

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History Buff

Highly Recommend

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 26, 2017

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Uniquely well written for an academic study. Very well researched and entertaining. A gripping story very well told. I highly recommend it for any fan of Winston Churchill or for anyone interested in how government works when it does not work well.

4 people found this helpful

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RWB

A beautifully written account of this time

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 31, 2017

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A beautifully written account of this time. Very objective treatment of Winston Churchill and his involvement with the Dardanelles and Gallipoli campaigns.

One person found this helpful

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P. Spencer

Historical Masterpiece

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 24, 2017

Bell’s “Churchill and the Dardanelles” is a brilliant work of history and an absolute pleasure to read. He has masterfully woven exhaustive history with a readable narrative that will appease both experts in the field and the general public looking for a great history book. His use of primary sources leaves little room to dispute what he has presented. But he gives the readers more than just a telling of the facts. He brings Churchill to life in a way that makes him relatable. There are dashes of humour, and I laughed out loud a few times while reading it.

One of the strengths of the work is that it is not trying to simplify the events and give a black or white verdict of the campaign. Churchill is shown in his triumph and fall; there are times when you are cheering for him, others when you are frustrated with him. An avid Churchill scholar, Bell is able to put aside his fandom for Winston to provide the best unbiased account. It would be exceedingly difficult for anyone to dispute this research.

This book has proven that Bell is not only a great historian, but also a great author. In the last chapter, as he is starting to draw his conclusions about what really happened, he states that “other than … military and naval historians, it seems that barely anyone has noticed.” With the release of this enjoyable read, I believe many more people will now notice.

5 people found this helpful

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Mr. Michael C. Morrow

A tour de force

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 21, 2017

This book is the most thorough, complete and definitive account of the Dardanelles sea campaign and the subsequent Gallipoli land campaign. Not only is this book well researched, but it is well written and hard to put down. Christopher Bell sets out a convincing case that responsibility for the failures of these campaigns rests on poor decisions by many individuals and organizations. Churchill is often seen as either the primary person responsible for the failure and the deaths of so many people, or the person whose genius, if listened to, would have led to a great success. Yes, Churchill made mistakes, particularly in regards to the sea campaign, but he did not have primary responsibility for the land campaign. That responsibility lay with the War Minister, Field Marshal Kitchener. Responsibility for the failures also rests with the Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith, the members of the War Council, and failures in the Admiralty and War Office. As the author states in the book, this study does not produce a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down verdict about Churchill. As he states, the past, unfortunately, is seldom that simple. Sometimes we have to be satisfied with "it's complicated" for an answer.

12 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Mr. Michael C. Morrow

A tour de force

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 21, 2017

Verified Purchase

This book is the most thorough, complete and definitive account of the Dardanelles sea campaign and the subsequent Gallipoli land campaign. Not only is this book well researched, but it is well written and hard to put down. Christopher Bell sets out a convincing case that responsibility for the failures of these campaigns rests on poor decisions by many individuals and organizations. Churchill is often seen as either the primary person responsible for the failure and the deaths of so many people, or the person whose genius, if listened to, would have led to a great success. Yes, Churchill made mistakes, particularly in regards to the sea campaign, but he did not have primary responsibility for the land campaign. That responsibility lay with the War Minister, Field Marshal Kitchener. Responsibility for the failures also rests with the Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith, the members of the War Council, and failures in the Admiralty and War Office. As the author states in the book, this study does not produce a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down verdict about Churchill. As he states, the past, unfortunately, is seldom that simple. Sometimes we have to be satisfied with "it's complicated" for an answer.

12 people found this helpful

Peter Rowland

A definitive account

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 9, 2017

Verified Purchase

A pleasure to read. A lucid and satisfying study of "what really happened" in 1915, carried out calmly with forensic ability (and occasional flashes of humour). Churchill is exonerated of having allegedly "bounced" his colleagues into approving a wild scheme that nobody else at the Admiralty really favoured, but found guilty of having - in the 1920s and 1930s - greatly exaggerated the extent to which the project came close to succeeding. But Churchill's obsession with clearing his name, as a means of re-establishing his political career, is understandable and, in the circumstances, forgivable. (There are parallels, perhaps, with the Chilcot Report.)

5 people found this helpful

Argyris Periferakis

A full account of Churchill and the Dardanelles

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 23, 2018

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The history of the Dardanelles campaign is one of the most controversial in the history of modern warfare. The author explores Churchill's personality as well as its reflections on his early political career. Also, the use of contemporary sources is extensive and one can clearly see the interaction between Churchill and other prominent figures, which lead to the unfortunate end of an interesting and radical plan. During the last chapters Churchills' efforts for public atonement are presented coupled with Britain's changing political landscape. This book is essential to understand Churchill both as politician and as strategist.

One person found this helpful

David Duff

History writing at its best.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 27, 2017

Verified Purchase

Christopher Bell steers his way through a maze of contradictory testimonies without losing his sense of judicious judgment. He tells a story of high and low, sometimes very low, politics and strategy and it is a fascinating read. A mournful one, too, given the eventual casualty lists. Above all it paints Churchill as a man blessed with great virtue but cursed with equally great faults. A 'must read'!

5 people found this helpful

L. S. Connell

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 3, 2018

Verified Purchase

Good read but requires determination with details of Churchill's struggle with the naval staff.

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