Friday, September 5, 2014

Gallipoli Doctors: The Australian Doctors at War Series Volume 1 by LTCOL Robert Likeman.

Gallipoli Doctors: The Australian Doctors at War Series Volume 1 by LTCOL Robert Likeman. Hardcover book published by Slouch Hat Publications 2010, 223 pages with black and white photographs and a few black and white illustrations.


Here in Australia the whole Gallipoli thing is starting to head towards fever pitch. Yes, it's nearly (...nearly but not quite...) one hundred years since the ANZACs landed at Gallipoli and I can only imagine what the next months will be like as we head towards the next ANZAC day. I'm not complaining or anything, it just seems that there is a lot of hype surrounding a centenary that is still a little way off.

ABC TV has recently been screening a series entitled ANZAC Girls:

“Honouring the Centenary of the commencement of WW1, ANZAC Girls is a moving new six-part series based on the unique, and rarely told true stories of Australian and New Zealand nurses serving at Gallipoli and the Western Front.”

I haven't been watching this “moving new six part series” as i've... ummmm... been busy with... ahhhh... other stuff. I'm sure it's great and bound to get those partiotic juices flowing even for those less inclined to be patriotic. Yes, even this hardened bookseller gets a tear in his eye whilst watching the previews, so it must be good. The reason I mention this TV show is that this book (the one i'm writing about) whilst not dealing with nurses, does look at those working with the nurses, namely, the Doctors. This whole book is devoted to the medical maestros that battled along side those in battle, performing medical procedures in a stressful climate of war and mayhem. I guess it's was a bit like MASH but with a different sort of Martini on hand.

Gallipoli Doctors is part of a series of books looking at Australian Doctors at War. It is very specific and whilst only looking at a small proportion of those who went (the doctors), they were an important part of the team. The book is a collection of biographies that whilst brief, do have considerable detail. If your great grand father was a doctor at Gallipoli, he's bound to be here.

No comments:

Post a Comment