In 1915, thousands of young Australians and New Zealanders sailed to the rocky shores of Gallipoli in southern Turkey.
They faced harsh conditions, fierce battles, and unimaginable challenges that would test their courage, strength, and mateship. For many, Gallipoli became the place where the Anzac spirit was born — a defining moment in the history of two young nations.
This engaging, full-colour book by one of Australia’s leading military historians takes readers from training camps and long sea voyages to the landing itself, exploring how the battles were fought, the men and nurses who served, and the reasons behind the campaign. Packed with Fast Facts, Did You Know? sections, myth-busting, and photographs, it brings history to life for young readers.
Gallipoli – Dawn of the Anzac Spirit is an ideal introduction for children to understand the bravery, sacrifice, and legacy of Gallipoli, and why 25 April is considered one of the most important days in Australia and New Zealand.
Lavishly illustrated with something on every page, this book is an ideal birthday or Christmas present for children and grandchildren.
Middle Grade, Children's Military History of Australia
About The Author
Dr Tom Lewis OAM is a military historian, an author of 21 books, and a public speaker and on-screen presenter. He is also a retired naval officer – who served unusually in land combat as an intelligence analyst; and a retired secondary school teacher.
His Order of Australia was bestowed on him for services to naval history. He was the Director of Darwin Military Museum for its 2007-2012 redevelopment. He has won numerous prizes for his literary works, the most recent being as the national winner of the 2021 Australian Naval Institute’s Commodore Sam Bateman Book Prize for The Sinking of HMAS Sydney, an honour he also won in 2021 for Teddy Sheean VC.
Tom’s history works cover WWI, WWII, battlefield behaviour, and medieval combat. He is in popular demand from radio and television stations across Australia for his insightful comments on military history and how it intersects with modern-day life. He is a regular speaker to community groups, and appears often in TV documentaries. Recent program include The Tiwi Warrior and the Samurai from the Sky; Coasts with Neil Oliver; Sir Tony Robinson’s Tour of Duty; Drain the Oceans: the Bombing of Darwin, and The Borella Ride, the Anzac Centenary commemoration of Albert Borella VC.
Dr Lewis appears in around 30 and TV radio interviews a year. He has been the commentator for Anzac Day parades; for military flyovers, and for important anniversaries. He has been a panellist for numerous military history conferences, a consultant historian for programs such as Family History Down Under; and speaks on cruise liners, where his naval background and many years as a scuba divemaster have especial relevance. He was the military historian for the 2011-2013 Anzac Ghan train journeys.
Tom lives in Canberra with his wife Kaylene, and is presently working on Grandad’s Vietnam War, and How Military Aircraft Fought. His most recent releases were The Battle of the Coral Sea – Explained (Avonmore, 2026), and Gallipoli – Dawn of the Anzac Spirit, the 7th volume of the Australia Remembers series (Big Sky)
