ABSTRACT
Three chapters at the end of Aspinall’s first volume contained explicit and graphic criticism of those he held responsible for the failure of the Gallipoli expedition. Because of the nature of this criticism these three chapters (entitled ‘Reinforcements’, ‘The Second Battle of Krithia’ and ‘The End of the First Phase’) were responsible for the vast majority of all governmental complaints concerning both volumes. These complaints are an indication of the level of concern various government departments had both for the particular nature of Aspinall’s analysis and for the content of Official Histories in general. They reveal, too, the very active manner in which these departments sought to impose their views, even to the point of suggesting entire passages to be written directly into the account. However, the most remarkable fact about these episodes was that Aspinall was
largely able to escape the censor’s blue pencil and succeeded in publishing a frank and personal account despite the serious objections of the army, of the great departments of state and of Edmonds himself.
