Review by Martin Koenigsberg
British General Allenby was given a real challenge late in WWI. The Army that he had taken Jerusalem with in 1917 was needed on the Western front, so his British soldiers and Tanks went back to France. The conquest of the Ottoman Turkish Empire would require a new Army, one using Indian and Commonwealth Cavalry, Indian Infantry and as many British guns as he would be allowed to keep. The Turks were degrading just as much as the other Central Powers – but they thought that their forces- stiffened with German Support- had a robust defensive line carved out of what is now Northern Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Eric W Osborne is a bit of an expert on WWI topics- and he gives us the story and analyses it for us quite well. The British had prepared well. Their offensive, when it came- shredded the Turk and their wistful hope to hold back the Allied tide. When the breakthroughs happened, the Cavalry Divisions were committed at the right time and a rout ensued. German support was not enough to stop the Turks from crumbling in the face of overwhelming odds. This was the offensive that knocked Turkey out of the war- and that gave the Brits and their French Allies control of the region for their Empires. For readers used to the quagmire stasis of the Western Front- it is interesting to see what was possible with what were then the most modern tactics- actually achieving breakthrough. It was blitzkrieg/shock troop tactics- carried out on horseback. There are few adult themes, and not too many graphic violent passages, so this book is for the Junior Reader over about 11/12 years interested in history. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast it’s a mixed bag. This is a very interesting tactical challenge for the Wargamer- using Cavalry successfully with machine guns present – and the book can be used for scenario/campaign design. For the modeler, there are a lot of good photos- but probably not enough to be the only resource. The Military Enthusiast is the real winner – as there are too few resources on the Eastern Campaigns in WWI, and a good history of a key offensive is very useful. Osborne’s attention to the logistical underpinnings of this campaign are sure to be appreciated by any level of reader. I enjoyed the read, even if the subject matter was serious.
