A Prayer for Gallipoli: The Great War Diaries of Chaplain Kenneth Best

by Gavin Roynon (Editor), Kenneth Best

The moving and gripping First World War diary of Chaplain Kenneth Best, who accompanied the East Lancastrians at Gallipoli and the Western Front.

Genres: History, World War I, Biography

293 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2011

Reviews

[Geoffrey Rose]

A very personal view into the horrors suffered by the Tommies during the disastrous Gallipoli campaign. The edited diary notes of a padre who believed in being at the front trench, and not safely back away from the action.
The Revd Kenneth Best is unashamedly critical of those who lived a luxurious time safely away from the front -- critical of both chaplains and also the "Red tabs" (top brass) who clearly had no idea of the suffering that their infantry were having day-in and day-out.
He himself not only spent time with Tommies and held services in advance trenches, but also joined rescue parties and stretcher bearers rescuing the casualties. So many burials ....
An inspiring practical Christianity, the experience of which made him despair of war.
Well worth the read.

[Huw Evans]

I started this book in preparation for my own trip to the Gallipoli Peninsula. Unfortunately I had finished the trip far before I had reached the point Padre Best had arrived himself.

Not wanting to put a good book down I came back to it in September. Padre Best describes well his arrival on the peninsula and his experiences of the disastrous campaign there. The frustration at his fellow officers, other less active Chaplains and the out of touch high command is tangible and its good to see the honesty with which he writes.

A great insight into an area of history I know little about from an unusual and honest viewpoint

[Cameron Steward]

It is often hard to review a book that contained historical diary entries from people who experienced an event.

However, in-between paragraphs of diary entries it was padded out with explanatory pieces, the overall style did not compliment the diary entries and I found that overall the book was very dry and did not entice me into reading on.

[Jonathan]

Well written remainder of the Gallipoli Campaign it awful conditions and it’s terrible consequences for the soldiers who fought and died on the Gallipoli peninsula. This is written mainly about the British forces rather than the Anzacs.

[Mark Morgan]

A fascinating account of the Gallipoli campaign from a slightly different prospective. Kenneth Best writes about the foul conditions and the complete bloody hell of the front line. He doesn't pull his punches. A very good read

[Simon Jenkins]

An illuminating insight into the grim realities of life in the trenches during the Gallipoli campaign.

[Stephen Mc]

I have been reading some books to learn more about this battle where my grandfather was a stretcher bearer.Imaging my surprise on reading that the diary is written by the parish priest from Lytham where my grandfather lived so he was with the same people from his little town in Lancashire with the east lancs regiment. A further coincidence is that Ken Best after the war became a house master at Cheltenham College just around the corner from where I now live.The book is his actual diaries and thoughts with a bit in fact rather too much explanation and context from the editor.