Jonathan King. Gallipoli diaries: The Anzacs' own story day by day.

Kangaroo Press, hardcover, ISBN 0731812050, published November 2003, $49,95.

The format of Gallipoli Diaries is simple but effective with 10 chapters and 240 entries. The chapters cover the landing on 25 April 1915 and the nine months that followed from the remaining days of April until the evacuation in December. The 240 entries includes an entry for every day from Sunday, 25 April to Monday, 20 December 1915. Each entry has the day, the date and the number of days on the peninsula. The main content is letters and diaries of the participants and is in effect the day-to-day diary in the words of the Anzacs that is true to the title of the book.

The entry for Wednesday 9 June, Day 46 is typical although briefer than most. Lance Sergeant Charles Bosward, 4th Battalion, sent a batch of pest cards home. He wrote in his dairy about the weather, enemy activity "Very quite,' and observing a monitor that 'can get into about 6 ft. water and shell away to her hearts content', mentions that Captain Magee returned to duty as well as men killed and wounded. Bosward is also quoted on Thursday, 24 June, Day 61 and Friday 2 July, Day 69. What is not mentioned is that Bosward, aged 25 of Paddington, NSW died of wounds on 14 August 1915 or that Magee had been awarded the Military Cross for the first day. However, the caption to the photo of Captain Alfred Shout mentions his Military Cross on the first day but not his posthumous Victoria Cross for Lone Pine.

On Wednesday, 28 July, Day 95 Captain D B A King wrote "Very warm morning. Gaba Tepe gun firing at our beach and last night also. Got a new shirt and towel yesterday. Our detachment is on the gun to-day. Got some chocolate to-day and nuts and new stores from Hospital Ship. Went to bed early.' This was the daily routine and while the big battles are covered in more detail the strength of this book is that it reminds us that the war was ever present for the entire 240 days at Anzac.

Three times King states that Brudenell White was promoted from major to general. White was a permanent major, an acting colonel and when he moved to Corps Headquarters became brigadier general, General Staff. Acting and temporary ranks were quite common then and now and promoting White was undoubting one of the smartest things done in the Gallipoli campaign.

Gallipoli Diaries is an excellent introductory reader to the entire Gallipoli campaign giving a balance to each and every day of the campaign that is welcome. It reminds us that for the Anzac Corps Gallipoli lasted 240 days. While Jonathan King has not used 240 letter writers or diarists he has come close to that number. Most of the material is from the Australian War Memorial and the reference section of identifies where the material quoted can be located.

Published to mark the 85th anniversary of the end of World War I, this fine book with a wide selection from letters and diaries is well illustrated with many familiar and unfamiliar photographs. At 306 pages and slightly wider than A4 this easy to handle an easy to read book will make anyone a fine Christmas gift.