Australian Light Horse
The Campaign in the Middle East, 1916-1918

By Phillip Bradley
Published By Allen & Unwin
RRP: $39.99 in paperback • ISBN: 9781760111892

This excellent new book covers the operations of the Australian Light Horse and camel troops in the Middle East from early 1916 through to the end of the war.

It does so by looking at the experiences of the men who served, using their own words.

Some 70 diaries or collections of letters have been used to tell their story in the desert campaign while Henry Gullett’s comprehensive official history of the campaign has provided the framework for the narrative.

But for me, the real interest lies in the 186 images taken from the private photo collections of light horsemen that appear in the book.

As Frank Hurley is quoted as saying: ‘The Kodak appears to be part of the equipment of the Light Horse.’

This book has special interest for me too as my grandfather served in the Middle East with the 1st Australian Light Horse. It took him a long time to recover from his injuries, sustained when ordnance exploded in the camp.

Author Phillip Bradley is a noted Australian military historian with many fine books to his credit. Once again, he has produced a highly readable and fascinating account of a significant period in Australia’s military history.