by Edwin L. Kennedy Jr (Author)
In this well sourced and informative book, the author analyzes the actions of the Australian Light Horse in the Middle East campaign during World War I. From the origins of their skills in the "outback" of Australia to their successes on the battlefield, the story is related in detail. The Australian Light Horse demonstrated the traits of initiative and flexibility during the campaign in Egypt and Palestine by changing their operating methods from mounted infantry to cavalry, a seemingly minor shift semantically, a major shift doctrinally. Their adaptability to the situations in the desert was largely responsible for their tactical successes and played a major part in the success of the operational maneuver of the mounted forces under General Allenby during the last year of the war. Most importantly, the lessons learned from their actions sustained the advocates of horse cavalry doctrine long after the apparent usefulness of the horse on the modern battlefield had diminished in importance.