Ordinary Men, Extraordinary Service details the First World War experiences of the 9^th Battalion (Queensland) AIF and reflections on the Gallipoli campaign.

The men of the 9^th Battalion, a Queensland based unit of the AIF, were among the very first wave of volunteers to enlist for war service in what was initially thought of as the ‘great adventure’ with their mates, following the outbreak of the First World War. For these young men reality would soon see their world turn upside down. These men were the first Australians ashore on the beaches of Gallipoli, suffering terrible casualties in the first few days of an 8 month campaign. They were then sent on to fight at the infamous Western Front battlefields. Chris Lowndes follows this Battalion of brave men through their experiences, recounting the lives of individual men within the battalion obtained from diary and service records. He also presents the military strategy and planning behind the Gallipoli campaign. 

Details: Non-fiction, published 2011.

Format: Soft cover, 336 pages.

Dimensions: 23.0 cm (h) x 16.0 cm (w) x 1.5 cm (d) / 690 grams.