Author(s): David W. Cameron

Military

Most Australian have heard of Lone Pine. Too few know why. Over four days in August 1915, Australians and Turks were thrown into some of the fiercest fighting of the war, on a small plateau in Gallipoli known as Lone Pine. Thousands of lives were lost. Seven of Australia's nine Gallipoli VCs were earned during brutal hand-to-hand combat in dark tunnels and in trenches just metres apart, bombarded by terrifying volleys of grenades. The Battle for Lone Pine is the first book devoted to this cornerstone of the Anzac legend, drawing on unforgettable first-hand accounts scratched into diaries and letters home. The stories of the diggers, as well as the engineers, nurses, sappers, commanders and more, provide an invaluable record of the battle and serve as moving testimony to their courage in appalling conditions. Today, pine trees are planted in remembrance around Australia. In Gallipoli, the Lone Pine Cemetery and Memorial attracts large crowds to commemorate Anzac Day. David W. Cameron's absorbing history reveals the fate of those who fought on the ground where they gather. 'David Cameron not only leads the way for the battalions of books on Australia in World War I to come in the next six years, he sets a standard for authors to emulate.' - Weekend Australian 'A riveting read.' - Daily Telegraph 'Powerfully written and well-illustrated.' - Sydney Morning Herald 'The Battle for Lone Pine is a detailed - and at times moving - narrative.' - Australian Army Journal 'Bean was great on context and so is Cameron.' - Canberra Times 'David Cameron has taken it on as a mission to provide the substance, the blood and the sinew of those far off events ...An absolute wealth of detail.' - Courier-Mail