'They were shipped like sheep when the dawn was grey; And as the ships left Mudros Bay They squatted and perched where'er they could, And they laughed and swore as we knew they would. Knew they would- Knew they would; They laughed and swore as we knew they would. -Henry Lawson

'When 26,000 Anzac troops went ashore at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, most were going into battle for the first time. These are their yarns, poems and recollections... their stories of recruitment, their memories of life in the trenches, their accounts of the fighting and their evocations of coming home. Here are the stories of Australian nurses tending the wounded, the Light Horsemen who had to leave their mounts in Egypt, and the strange bond between the Australians and their Turkish enemy.

'This is a collection full of poignancy, horror and sadness, as well as dry Aussie humour from one of Australia's most successful storytellers. It reminds us that Gallipoli was more than a military campaign. These are the forgotten stories and yarns that give heart to the Anzac legend.' (Publication summary)