Pozieres
Scott Bennett
Shortlisted for the Manning Clark House National Cultural Award
'Scott Bennett is to be commended for producing such a readable account of the costly Pozières battles; and 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)'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)'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)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, perched on the highest ridge of the battlefield. 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 and took Pozières. Forty-five days later they were relieved, having suffered 23,000 casualties to gain a few miles of barren, lunar landscape. Despite the toll, 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 tells the stories of those men who fought at Pozières. 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, Pozières 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.
'While the experience of first-time author Scott Bennett is crucially important to the way this book was written, what is also wonderful is that 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.'
'Pick of the Week ', Rosemary Sorensen (Bendigo Weekly)‘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‘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'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)'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 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 book will challenge everything you thought you knew about the Anzac legend ... This superb book recreates the experiences of those men who fought in one of the largest and most devastating battles of the Great War.'
(Bega District News )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.
Buy from Readings
Extent: 416pp incl maps + 16pp photo section
Size: 234mm x 153mm
ISBN (13): 9781921640353
RRP: $36.95
Pub date: April 2011
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