They met as enemies. They endured the same war.
On 25 April 1915, Australian troops stormed the rugged shores of Gallipoli, scrambling up steep ridges under relentless fire. By midday, New Zealand forces had joined the fight. In those brutal opening hours, the legend of Anzac was born—defined by courage, endurance and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds.
Yet the campaign's outcome was shaped just as much by what did not happen. The failure to seize the high ground on that first day condemned the Allied forces to months of stalemate, hardship and mounting loss. When a bold offensive was launched in August to break the deadlock, it ended in devastating failure. By October, evacuation loomed. The determined resistance of the Turkish defenders had prevailed.
In Our Friend, the Enemy at Gallipoli, acclaimed historian David W. Cameron presents a detailed and deeply human account of the campaign. Drawing on vivid first-hand sources from Australian, New Zealand and Turkish soldiers, he brings readers closer to the lived experience of those who fought there.
Australian Captain Herbert Layh recalled the chaos of the landing, where Turkish fire swept over the men in a deadly storm. New Zealand engineer Sergeant Charles Saunders described wave after wave advancing into machine-gun fire, entire lines cut down within moments. From the Turkish perspective, Gunner Recep Trudal remembered the ferocity of the great counter-attack of 19 May—an unrelenting assault driven by a single command: attack, and either die or survive.
Through these voices, Cameron reveals not only the brutality of Gallipoli, but a shared humanity between enemies—soldiers who endured the same fear, exhaustion and hardship on opposite sides of the battlefield.
'A compelling and deeply human account of Gallipoli.'
'An important contribution to understanding the Anzac campaign.'
About the Author
David W. Cameron is a Canberra-based author specializing in Australian military and convict history, as well as human and primate evolution. He has published over 60 internationally peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. David received First Class Honours in Prehistoric Archaeology from the University of Sydney and completed his Ph.D. in Palaeoanthropology at the Australian National University.
He has held prestigious research fellowships, including an Australian Research Council (ARC) Postdoctoral Fellowship at ANU's School of Archaeology and an ARC QEII Fellowship at the University of Sydney's Department of Anatomy and Histology. David has led and participated in numerous international fieldwork projects across Australia, the Middle East (Turkey, Jordan, Israel, UAE), Europe (Hungary), and Asia (Japan, Vietnam, India), and has contributed to conferences and museum studies worldwide.
