In 1915-18, ANZAC and Ottoman soldiers clashed on numerous
battlefields, from Gallipoli to Jerusalem. This illustrated study
investigates the two sides' fighting men.
The Gallipoli campaign of 1915-16 pitched the Australian and New Zealand
volunteers known as the ANZACs into a series of desperate battles with
the Ottoman soldiers defending their homeland. In August 1915, the
bitter struggle for the high ground known as Chunuk Bair saw the peak
change hands as the Allies sought to overcome the stalemate that set in
following the landings in April. The ANZACs also played a key part in
the battle of Lone Pine, intended to divert Ottoman attention away from
the bid to seize Chunuk Bair.
The Gallipoli campaign ended in Allied evacuation in the opening days of
1916. Thereafter, many ANZAC units remained in the Middle East and
played a decisive role in the Allies' hard-fought advance through
Palestine that finally forced the Turks to the peace table. The fateful
battle of Beersheba in October 1917 pitted Australian mounted infantry
against Ottoman foot soldiers as the Allies moved on Jerusalem.
In this book, noted military historian Si Sheppard examines the fighting
men on both sides who fought at Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair and Beersheba.
The authoritative text is supported by specially commissioned artwork
and mapping plus carefully chosen archive photographs.