Armageddon: Two Men on an Anzac Trail

by Paul Daley, Michael Bowers

Almost a century after the Australian Light Horse cavalry and infantry fought a series of epic and bloody battles against the Turkish Army across the deserts of the Middle East, the steps of the men and boys who fought there are retraced in this extraordinary book. From the enemy trenches where they charged the Turks on horseback, to the narrow mountain passes—where, exhausted, they slept in their saddles in retreat—this account journeys to the hostile and lonely places where soldiers lost and buried their mates. Through battlefields still littered with shrapnel, bullet casings, and even the odd human bone, this part travelogue and part history reflects upon the collision of the turbulent Middle Eastern politics with the past.

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

Author and journalist Paul Daley's books—Canberra, Collingwood: A Love Story, Beersheeba and Armaggedon—have been finalists in major literary awards, including the Nib, the Manning Clark House Cultural Awards and the Prime Minister's History Prize. He is the winner of the Walkley Award for Investigative Journalism and the Paul Lyneham Award for Press Gallery journalism. In 2013 he co-wrote, with Katie Pollock, the acclaimed political play, The Hansard Monologues. He also writes essays and short stories, and about history and national identity for The Guardian and Meanjin. He lives in Canberra with his wife, Lenore Taylor, and their children. This is his first novel.

Reviews

[Debbie Robson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is must read for every Australian who is fascinated by our part in WWI. Its wonderful now how Gallipolli is recognised and to a smaller degree the Aussies who fought in the Western Front but the soldiers and lighthorsemen who fought on the Eastern Front have been largely forgotten.The name Beersheba might ring a bell for a few but not many.
This book is a great overview to the campaign that included the last great cavalry charge in history on the 31st October 1917 when 800 Australians of the 4th Light Horse Brigade charged the Turkish trenches, overran them and captured the wells of Beersheba.
Daley and Bowers embarked on a trail to follow the Australians through the three year campaign, searching out battlefields and visiting all the major towns in the area. Through their account of dealing with problems of travelling in modern day Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria (and the often unsettling checkpoints between the trouble spots) is interwoven diary entries and accounts of the lighthorsemen's journey, what they experienced and what they saw, with excellent photographs taken by the soldiers themselves.
In many instances photographer Bowers has managed to find the same vantage points and cleverly highlights the country as it is now in contrast to the snapshots of the soldiers from over 90 years ago. Some locations of course have changed beyond all recognition but others have not. The Damascus Gate, for instance and the old walls of Jerusalem. Also Turkish trenches are still visible in various locations. Highly recommended.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Armageddon Paul Davey / Mike Bowers Paul Davey wrote Beersheba, Armageddon is co written with Journalist photographer Mike Bowers . Both are investigative journalists who speak with accuracy and testaments from those living survivors and family members of soldiers who fought in The Great War 1914 - 1918. Research is the fundamental genesis of any writer and the groundwork in acquiring past photos and placing them alongside photos taken in 2010 give depth to the story.