The Gallipoli Campaign remains one of the most studied military engagements of the First World War, yet much of the English-language literature has focused on the British and Anzac experience. Understanding both sides of this pivotal campaign is essential.
In this first instalment of our Gallipoli reading series, Little Gully recommends five essential works that give us the Ottoman view—from a firsthand account to comprehensive military analyses that challenge traditional narratives of the campaign.
Gallipoli 1915: Bloody Ridge (Lone Pine) Diary of Lt Mehmed Fasih
Author: Second-Lieutenant Mehmet Fasih (General Mehmet Fasih Kayabalı)
Editor & Translator: Hasan Basri Danışman
Publisher: Denizler Kitabevi
First published in 1997 and translated into English in 2003, Lieutenant Fasih’s diary stands as one of the few known Turkish personal accounts from the Gallipoli Campaign.
It offers a vivid and genuine insight into the experiences of a young Ottoman Turkish officer, giving a rare and honest look at daily life in the trenches at Anzac, particularly during the later stages of the campaign.
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Gallipoli: The Ottoman Campaign
Author: Edward J. Erickson
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Authored by retired U.S. Army Colonel Edward Erickson, best known for his work on late Ottoman Turkish military history, Gallipoli: The Ottoman Campaign is a soldier’s critique of the Gallipoli Campaign from the Turkish perspective.
Using Turkish primary sources, including war diaries and unit histories, Erickson, with a strong understanding of the Ottoman Army, produces an easy-to-read operational history based on rare material.
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Defending Gallipoli: The Turkish Story
Author: Harvey Broadbent
Publisher: Melbourne University Press
Broadbent’s work provides a comprehensive operational narrative of the Gallipoli Campaign from the Turkish viewpoint, using Turkish official history volumes and various primary sources that are not easily accessible.
The book is particularly valuable for shedding light on lesser-known, low-ranking individuals who were involved in key moments but remain largely unrecognised, even within the Turkish audience.
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The Defence of the Dardanelles: From Bombards to Battleships
Author: Michael Forrest
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Michael Forrest presents a detailed account of the naval phase of the Dardanelles Campaign, shifting the focus away from the land battles to explore the key reasons behind the failure of the Allied fleet.
The book offers a wealth of information on the tactics and technical capabilities of the Turkish forces in the defence of the Dardanelles Strait, with particular emphasis on the artillery, supported by numerous contemporary photographs from the battlefield.
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The Ottoman Defence against the Anzac Landing
Author: Mesut Uyar
Publisher: Big Sky Publishing
Mesut Uyar, a leading Turkish military historian and retired Army colonel, provides a detailed yet accessible operational narrative of the Anzac landing, told from the perspective of the Ottoman defenders.
While the book focuses on the events of a single day, 25 April 1915, it also offers valuable context on the structure and condition of the Ottoman Army in the lead-up to the war.
Uyar combines expert analysis with rare visual and archival material from the Turkish side to present a nuanced picture of the first and fateful day of the campaign.
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Credit
Our thanks to Emre Özmen for his recommendations.
Disclosure
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