There are times when one can look back in history and see how many of today's situations were established. It was not so long ago that what we now call the Middle East was controlled by the Ottoman Empire and the British. World War I changed all of that with the Ottoman Empire throwing in their hat with the Central Powers, it made all of this area ripe for upheaval. There was always some dissention amongst the Arab tribes regarding the control of the Turks, but these groups were generally small and quite fractious, each wanting something a bit different from the others. The British and French saw this as a way to help take the war to the Turks and so did all they could to try to bring together these tribes.

Mainly, this was a war against the railways. It was by this method that the Turks were able to supply their various outposts along the Red Sea. It was the capture of Aquaba that allowed the British a foot hold in Arabia and a way of supplying the Arab armies with weapons and money to continue the campaign against the rails. Little of value lay inland amongst the broad expanses of the desert and the major population centers were on or near the coast. Into this was thrust several British officers who had some experience in a few cases and some desire to see a united Arab community in others. This is the time of Lawrence of Arabia, a man made into an icon by his own words and by the cinema. While much of what is known about him is factual, he was a showman and this has cast some doubt on specifics.

Thanks to the complicity of the British and the French on how this area was to be divided and governed after the war, the Arabs were pretty well left out of things post war and so returned to their nomadic ways, as bitterly opposed to the Europeans as they were to the Turks before them.

In his book, David Murphy does an excellent job of straightening out what to many is quite a muddle of events. He uses Osprey's well developed format, starting with events leading up to the battle, the plans of the opposing sides and a look at the various commanders on both British, Turkish and Arab sides sides. This is then followed by a look at the opposing armies themselves before we get into the meat of the book, the battles themselves against the Turks and the political machinations behind the scene that helped to decide the outcome.  How these events shaped the immediate and future course of history is discussed and we get a look at the battlefield today. While much has disappeared into the sands, there is still much still around, most of it untended and deteriorating.

All of this is additionally enhanced by a superb choice of photos. Fortunately for us, Lawrence was well followed by the press and so there are some very impressive images. In addition, illustrator Peter Dennis shares his magic with his work and that of some excellent maps and charts.

 It all makes for an excellent read and provides insight into an area of the world that has been rife with strife for most of the 20th and all of the 21st Century. As with all Osprey books, you won't be disappointed. 

January 2009

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