The National Army Museum Book of the Turkish Front 1914-18 : The Campaigns at Gallipoli, in Mesopotamia and Palestine

by Michael Carver

The Turkish Front in World War I was an historically important campaign as the destruction of the Ottomon Empire led to the political turmoil of the Middle East that has come about since. But it also had a big emotional pull. This book contains extracts from the letters, diaries and other papers of those involved. Casualties were high, both in action and from disease. There were many examples of great courage and endurance, and some instances of a significant lack of these qualities. Heights of incompetence at the higher levels were seen at Sulva Bay and in some actions in Mesopotamia. The accounts provide a stark reminder of what the soldiers endured.

Genres: World War I, History

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Field Marshal Richard Michael Power Carver, Baron Carver GCB, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC, was a senior British Army officer. Lord Carver served as the Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, and then as the Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces. He served in the Second World War and organized the administration of British forces deployed in response to the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya and later in his career provided advice to the British Government on the response to the early stages of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Reviews

[Dropbear123 · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was decent. 247 pages with another 30 for bibliography and index. The text was rather small in the book. Has a brief chapter on the prewar situation and the Ottoman entry into the war. Then it goes by one campaign at a time. First it covers the Gallipoli campaign which was the least enjoyable chapter for me. Then it does the Mesopotamian campaign and finishes with the Palestinian campaigns which were both more interesting for me. A brief epilogue at the end argues that Britain should’ve tried to keep the Ottomans in the first place and that most of the Turkish front campaigns were not necessary but happened anyway due to a form of mission creep. The book is mostly a traditional military history with a focus on army movements. There are a quite a lot of diaries used but mainly from lieutenants, captains, majors. The book is clearly aimed at a British audience and it is almost entirely from the British point of view. There are no non-British diaries or sources used as a lot of them come from the National Army Museum.

[Trawets · Rating 3 out of 5]

Field Marshall Lord Carver has written a comprehensive study of the fighting between the Turkish forces and those of the Allies in the Great War, covering not only the Gallipoli campaign, but also the campaigns in Mesopotamia and Palestine.
So many of the place names were familiar Basra, Baghdad, Fallujah, Gaza, Aleppo, Beirut and Damascus, places still experiencing conflict.
The books narrative is interspersed with first hand accounts of those who fought, mainly letters and diaries of junior officers.
Although not a quick or easy read, it was good to learn about these less well known struggles and the men who fought them.

[Dave McCracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Field Marshal Lord Carver set out on behalf of the National Army Museum to write a book on the Western Allies Front against the Ottoman Empire otherwise known as the Turkish Front 1914-1918. Most books on this theater of war limit themselves to one of the three main campaigns, the Dardanelles (Gallipoli), Mesopotamia (Basra to Baghdad), or Palestine (Suez to Jerusalem-Damascus). The author covers all three campaigns in sequence with the underlying theme to describe the harsh conditions and sufferings of the common soldier.

Carver achieves this aim splendidly thru numerous individual accounts derived from personal correspondence or memoirs describing in personalized detail actions during key events in the various battles and campaigns.

Should a reader be looking for this book to articulate a detailed account of the campaigns one should look elsewhere, as Carver only provides brief overviews of campaigns or particular battles giving the reader context for the follow-on personal accounts he liberally applies in all cases. This is not a criticism, rather an endorsement that the author achieved his aim to underscore and emphasize the plight & fates of the common soldiery, NCO's and junior Officers.

Highly recommended reading for those readers unfamiliar with the Turkish Front and interested in dipping their toes into this fascinating period of history.

[Stephen Mc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Its a book I found interesting but it is strictly for anoraks.its the usual format for these war books a bit of narrative then very lengthy extracts from diary and reports that are all in very small print so its a long haul I feel like I have been fighting the campaign for a month.Of topical interest though as the campaign takes us through Palestine and Gaza with lots of all too familiar place names .What a mess we have made of the Middle East.The author alludes to this in his conclusion.