This is the second volume in CEW Bean's 12 Volume history of Australia's involvement in World War One, and the concluding volume of the two that describe the events at Gallipoli in 1915. Bean continues his hugely detailed and human description of the action, from the perspective of both sides in the conflict. The impossibility of the allied position, and the ingenuity which the Australians employed in defending and extending their positions, and in their undetected withdrawal is one of two themes played out in Bean's narrative. The contrasting theme is the shocking failure of British troops to take advantage of their landing to the north of the Australian position, and the frantic, heroic and ultimately doomed attempt of Australian and New Zealand troops to take the peak that dominated the entire battlefield. In this volume Bean reveals his own disillusionment with some of the British and Australian military commanders, but as ever he maintains and celebrates the stoicism, courage and humanity of the 'little men' on both sides. This is a very readable volume, written by a former journalist, but a set of modern maps and photographs will make the text a little easier to follow. Copies of this book are highly collectable, but a free copy of the text is available at the Australian War Memorial website. ( )