Pozieres The Anzac Story

Download or read book Pozières written by Scott Bennett and published by Scribe Publications Pty Limited. This book was released on 2011 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'A clear, fresh view of an epic battle, presenting conclusions that will challenge many readers' DR PETER STANLEY, author of MEN OF MONT ST QUENTIN In 1916, a million men fought in the first battle of the Somme. Victory for both sides hinged on their ability to capture a small French village called Pozières, perched on the highest ridge of the battlefield. After five attempts to seize it, the British retreated and called in the Anzacs to complete this seemingly impossible task. At midnight on 23 July 1916, thousands of young Australians stormed and took Pozières. Forty-two days later they withdrew, having suffered 23,000 casualties for the gain of a few miles of barren, lunar landscape. Despite the withdrawal, the capture of Pozières was heralded as a stunning tactical victory. Yet for the exhausted survivors, the war-weary public, and the families of the dead and maimed, victory came at such terrible cost it seemed indistinguishable from defeat. This account of the Pozières battle tells the stories of the men who fought there. Drawing on their letters and diaries, it reveals a battlefield drenched in chaos, suffering, and fear. Bennett sheds light on the story behind the official history, showing how commanders struggled with a war conducted on an unprecedented scale and how the survivors witnessed appalling human tragedy to return home as heroes but, too often, shattered men. While Gallipoli has entered the national mythology, Pozieres has received less attention. This superb book recreates the experiences of those men who fought in one of the largest and most devastating battles of the Great War.