Pozieres

the Anzac story
Scott Bennett

‘Pozières has languished in Gallipoli's shadow for almost a century. Scott Bennett shines a probing light into that darkness. His passion is evident in every page, and his attention to detail is striking ... The tragedy of Pozières tears at our nation's heart. This a book that needed to be written.’

Patrick Lindsay, author of Fromelles and Kokoda Spirit

'Bennett ... has deftly reconstructed the battles through a variety of accounts from historians and participants. One of Bennett's many strengths is his ability to transport himself and the reader into the shoes of the different protagonists, elucidating the battle from a variety of perspectives.'

Martin Crotty, The Age

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'Bennett looks deeper than the traditional myth of good men led by bad officers. Thorough research, a gift for storytelling and the deft weaving of the overall battle strategies with the feelings of the men make this a valuable addition to Australia's history of the war.'

Herald Sun

'This is a staggeringly good first book; as good a piece of military history as I've read in a long time … There is a humanity in this book that is moving and deeply involving.'

Michael McKernan, The Canberra Times

'This is an astounding tome of military history that will not only force readers into asking questions about the Pozières campaign, but it challenges the many ‘truths’ built around the Anzac legend.’

Rama Gaind, PS News

'... an immensely readable and well-written account of the pivotal and bloodiest battle of the war.'

Diana Simonds

'Pozieres gives a valuable insight into some of the darkest days of our history and leaves the reader with an enormous sense of gratitude to those who did their duty and paid the ultimate price.'

Ross Gates, Sunday Tasmanian

'Bennett's excellent book is easy to read and full of the detail history buffs need without becoming bogged down.'

Toowoomba Chronicle

'The man can write. So often, someone’s interest in history is not enough to create a good book, but in this case, the desire is matched by competence ... Bennett has sifted and pondered, and come through ten years of research with an account that is compelling.'

Rosemary Sorensen, Bendigo Weekly

'Such a readable account ... this is probably the best book about a Western Front battle to be written from an Australian perspective in the last decade. Highly recommended.'

Ron Austin, Mufti

'This book will challenge everything you thought you knew about the Anzac legend ... superb.'

‘Scott Bennett’s Pozières gives us 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, one million men fought in the first battle of the Somme. Victory hinged on their ability to capture a small village called Pozières. After five attempts to seize it, the British called in the Anzacs to complete this seemingly impossible task.

At midnight on 23 July 1916, thousands of Australians stormed Pozières. Forty-five days later they were relieved, having suffered 23,000 casualties to gain a few miles of barren landscape. Despite the toll, the operation was heralded as a stunning victory. Yet for the exhausted survivors, the war-weary public, and the families of the dead and maimed, victory came at a terrible cost.

Drawing on the letters and diaries of the men who fought at Pozières, this superb book reveals a battlefield drenched in chaos and fear. Bennett sheds light on the story behind the official history, re-creating the experiences of those men who fought in one of the largest and most devastating battles of the Great War and returned home, all too often, as shattered men.

Patrick Lindsay, author of Fromelles and Kokoda Spirit

Martin Crotty, The Age

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Herald Sun

'This is a staggeringly good first book; as good a piece of military history as I've read in a long time … There is a humanity in this book that is moving and deeply involving.'

Michael McKernan, The Canberra Times

Rama Gaind, PS News

'... an immensely readable and well-written account of the pivotal and bloodiest battle of the war.'

Diana Simonds

'Pozieres gives a valuable insight into some of the darkest days of our history and leaves the reader with an enormous sense of gratitude to those who did their duty and paid the ultimate price.'

Ross Gates, Sunday Tasmanian

'Bennett's excellent book is easy to read and full of the detail history buffs need without becoming bogged down.'

Toowoomba Chronicle

Rosemary Sorensen, Bendigo Weekly

'Such a readable account ... this is probably the best book about a Western Front battle to be written from an Australian perspective in the last decade. Highly recommended.'

Ron Austin, Mufti

'This book will challenge everything you thought you knew about the Anzac legend ... superb.'

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Details

Format:Paperback

Size: 210mm × 135mm

Extent:416pp

ISBN (13):9781921844836

RRP:$29.99

Pub date:21 Mar 2012

Rights Held: World

High-res cover:Download Image

AWARDS

Manning Clark House National Cultural Award - Short-listed

CATEGORIES / tags

AUTHOR

Scott Bennett

Scott Bennett was born in Bairnsdale, Victoria, in 1966, and holds an Executive Master of Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management at the University of Sydney. Over the last ten years, he has worked for many of Australia’s most recognised retail companies as a management consultant or an executive manager. In 2003, he visited the Great War battlefields in France and Belgium to retrace the steps of his great-uncles, who had fought there. The experience led him to question the many ‘truths’ that have developed around the Anzac legend. The result was the writing of Pozières, which re-examines the battle of Pozières and the Anzac legend.