Customer Reviews

The Battle for Palestine 1917 (Warfare in History)

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I have read much on this battle and found much of what I knew was wrong. In WW1, while most of the conflict was tied up in a bloody conflict in the trenches, that went no-where. This campaign had movement and charm particularly with the legend of the light horsemen of the Australian calvary which I was brought up with and ended up with an Allied great success.

In 1917, the British started a major campaign against Turkey under a brilliant general Allenby. To a large extent, it was a grab for area in a minor front. It was unnecessary as the writer points out, the British could have fought a more limited campaign in the Sinai much cheaper. As it was the British managed to score a brilliant victory. According to the writer if the conflict had continued the British might have lost much of their gains in 1918. Something I doubt.

What I was disappointed was that little other then commenting occasionally how good the Turks fought. It almost sounds like the writer is trying to praise the Turks to build up the achievements of the British forces. As such, I would say it is a good book but only half the story.

Grainger has written an excellent book about this campaign in Palestine during World War I, also know as the Third battle of Gaza. He takes the time to describe what happened during the first two battles, how Allenby turned things around, and then the battle itself, through to the capture of Jersualem. Grainger is an admirer of Allenby but that does not stop him from pointing out Allenby's mistakes and changes of plan during the battle. He spends a chapter at the end of the book summing up why the British won in 1917 and its affects on the theater and the war as a whole. Grainger's sources are mostly regimental and divisional histories of the British, Australian and New Zealand units involved in the campaign. Those histories include a good deal of primary source material. Grainger also researched primary sources at several British, Australian and New Zealand libraries and archives. He has also made use of a good deal of other secondary sources in English. Because the book is from the British point of view, there is not much from the Ottoman or German point of view. Overall this is an excellent book and is recommended for anyone interested in the military history of this campaign in World War I.

Contents ok. However written notes on almost every page not mentioned in book discreption. This should have made price lower. Will really think before buying from this seller again.