The story of the highly controversial First World War campaign that nearly destroyed Churchill's reputation for good and of his decades-long battle to set the record straight--a battle which ultimately helped clear the way for Churchill's appointment as Prime Minister in Britain's "darkest hour."

Published during the Great War, this book by Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett (1881-1931), a British war correspondent during the First World War, covers the preparations for the assault on Gallipoli, the naval Battle of the Dardanelles, the landings at ANZAC and Cape Helles and the battles for Krithia, Achi Baba and the heights of ANZAC from March to July 1915. Through his reporting of the Battle of Gallipoli, Ashmead-Bartlett was instrumental in the birth of the Anzac legend, which still dominates military history in Australia and New Zealand. Outspoken in his criticism of the conduct of the campaign, he was instrumental in bringing about the dismissal of the British commander-in-chief, Sir Ian Hamilton—an event that led to the evacuation of British forces from the Gallipoli peninsula.

This book completely rewrites the history of the origins of the Dardanelles Campaign and Winston Churchill's role in it, adding a new perspective to the military and political history of World War I. Churchill's Dilemma: The Real Story Behind the Origins of the 1915 Dardanelles Campaign is an entirely original study of the origins of the disastrous Dardanelles Campaign of 1915 and Winston Churchill's role in it. The work challenges long-held beliefs about Churchill's actions as First Lord, including the perceptions that he had a preoccupation with the Dardanelles bordering on obsession, and that he only reluctantly promoted a naval-only attempt to force the Dardanelles because there were no troops available for a full-scale amphibious assault on the Peninsula. Opening with a brief study of prewar naval policy in the age of the mine and submarine and the implications of the growing threat from Germany, this in-depth study shows that neither perception is true. Churchill's preoccupation was with northern Europe, not the Mediterranean. He promoted his naval-only operation because he hoped this would preempt a major British military commitment to a southern theatre that would compromise his northern aspirations. In studying the motivations that drove and the other key players in this drama, this groundbreaking work does nothing less than unlock the true origins of the Dardanelles campaign.

"First published in Great Britain in 2011 by Profile Books"--T.p. verso.

In the Australian psyche, the Gallipoli campaign is the action on Gallipoli Peninsula. But an important addition to that land campaign was the part played by the Australian submarine HMAS AE2. The AE2 achieved a daring passage through the Dardanelles on 25 April 1915 when Anzac troops were landing on the other side at Anzac Cove. The Royal and French navies' previous attempts at passage had ended in disaster. AE2's mission to 'run amuck' ended after five days in the Sea of Marmara when it was caught by the Turkish Sultanhisar torpedo boat. After being holed, AE2's captain Stoker scuttled the submarine and its crew were saved by Sultanhisar's captain, Ali Riza. Beneath the Dardanelles tells AE2's story from both the Australian and Turkish perspectives, and features extracts from the memoirs of the two captains. Rarely in military books are both sides of a battle presented so evenly. The submarine lay undiscovered on the bottom of the sea until 1998 and awaits its destiny as the largest historical Australian relic of the Gallipoli campaign. The future of AE2 will be newsworthy for years to come and this book makes an important contribution to that story.

The century that has elapsed since the 1915 Dardanelles campaign has done little to quell the debate that rages over its inglorious end. The origins of the campaign are likewise the subject of ongoing scrutiny, particularly the role of the First Sea Lord Winston Churchill, with whom the ill-fated campaign has been closely identified. Tom Curran's The Grand Deception: Churchill and the Dardanelles presents a detailed examination of Churchill's role in the decision-making process that led to the Gallipoli landings. Using unpublished British archival sources and a range of additional material, both contemporary and modern, Curran's meticulous research casts new light on the lead-up to a campaign that would profoundly affect Australian military history.