NZ's War Against the Ottoman Turk:Writing a New History

You might wonder if we need another book about New Zealand’s part in campaigns against the Ottoman Empire during World War One. In my talk I will explain and give some example of how the book I am working on will differ from previous books on the subject.

A new history that takes a significantly different approach and uses a range of new or under-utilized sources will add greatly to our understanding of our nation’s role in the First World War. Although some aspects of these campaigns are well covered in the existing literature, other are not. The experience of New Zealand soldiers at Gallipoli has, for instance, been carefully examined by Dr Chris Pugsley, Professor Glyn Harper and others.

My history of New Zealand’s involvement at Gallipoli, in Palestine and elsewhere in the fighting against the Ottoman Empire will focus on areas that have not been subject to detailed analysis in the past. At Gallipoli, for example, subjects to be studied include, the total number of New Zealand Expeditionary Force personnel who served in the campaign, the rate of attrition (losses) suffered by New Zealand units and the performance of New Zealand officers.

Presenter: John Crawford
Light refreshments available at 5.30pm. Ground Floor, Central Library