NEK A Gallipoli Tragedy

One of the greatest tragedies in Australian military history occurred at Gallipoli on 7 August 1915, when hundreds of Australian light horsemen were repeatedly ordered to charge the massed rifles and machine-guns of the Turkish enemy. It was a hopeless endeavour, and the resulting bloodbath has horrified every generation since and been the subject of considerable scrutiny by historians.
The charge at The Nek, so vividly realised in Peter Weir’s famous film Gallipoli, came to epitomise both the futility and courage of the Gallipoli campaign. In this classic book, Peter Burness describes the formation, training and character of the Light Horse regiments, and profiles the officers involved. His vivid account of the battle itself includes careful consideration of how the suicidal charges were allowed to continue when all hope of success was lost. For this new edition, the author has updated the text to include new information that has come to light since the book was first published in 1996, and he has also provided new maps and photographs.