On Land and Sea at the Dardanelles

A convoy of Allied troops gathers on the deck of a transport ship, bound for the strategic strait of the Dardanelles. Among them, the sardonic Ken Carrington and the thoughtful Australian Dave Burney strike up a conversation that soon reveals layers of personal history—Ken’s father, a former British naval officer, once worked for the Ottoman navy before becoming entangled in a deadly rivalry over a coal concession. Their dialogue weaves together memories of clandestine skirmishes in Thrace, the uneasy alliances of the pre‑war Balkans, and the bitter betrayals that still echo in the soldiers’ minds.

Through vivid narration, the book paints the atmosphere of a night‑time crossing, the phosphorescent waters of the Aegean, and the looming cliffs that promise both danger and camaraderie. As the men prepare to face the unknown, the story captures the mix of humor, fear, and curiosity that defines soldiers on the brink of a new conflict, inviting listeners to step into a world where personal pasts meet the looming tides of war.