Very few authors are successful as he at connecting individual soldiers to an overall campaign.
~Brig. Gen. Roberty A. Doughty (Ret.)
Has succeeded in combing the memoirs, both published and unpublished, with the more formal historical records to form a flowing narrative.... An informative and enjoyable read.
~Bulletin of the Military Historical Society
Provides a rare look at the experiences of British foot-soldiers in campaigns against the Turkish army in Egypt and Palestine in 1916-1918.
~College and Research Library News
An excellent read and should be of interest to those wanting to acquire knowledge of warfare in the Middle East.
~Great Lakes Bulletin
Illuminates and skillfully molds the stories of ordinary soldiers on the ground with the higher strategy of generals and politicians. The many letters and diary entries give moving testament to the blood, horror, and futility of war but also to the lingering sense of romance and adventure felt by some of the men.
~J. Lee Thompson, author of Politicans, the Press, and Propaganda: Lord Northcli
This is an impressive, critical and readable volume that provides fascinating personal insights woven in with a general account of the fighting to provide a holistic, concise record of the Palestine campaign.
~Journal of Military History
Woodward utilizes graphic eyewitness accounts to compile an engaging history of the oft-forgotten Egyptian Expeditionary Force during its 500-mile campaign in Egypt and Palestine.
~Military Trader
A well-crafted, extremely readable political-military history.... Paints a more considered, vastly more nuanced, and far less romantic picture of war in the desert than that depicted in films such as Lawrence of Arabia and The Light Horsemen.
~Relevance
Woodward's work not only reveals a command of past and current scholarship but demonstrates a superlative research effort in uncovering the thoughts and horrors of otherwise voiceless ordinary soldiers and junior officers and fitting these into a lucid narrative account of the overall campaign.
~Thomas C. Kennedy, author of British Quakerism, 1860-1920: The Transformation o
An excellent read and should be of interest to those wanting to acquire more knowledge of warfare in the Middle East.
~Waterline
"The author of this study has written an important and readable addition to the growing collection of books on World War I in the Middle East. It will be useful to scholars of the war, and its lucid style and vivid picture of events will appeal to a popular audience."
~Neil M. Heyman, San Diego State University
"Hell in the Holy Land provides a welcome look at the experiences of soldiers in the Middle East from 1916-1918. It also sheds light on a campaign that has been dismissed as a sideshow, but had consequences that continue to reverberate today."
~Nikolas Gardner, H-Net Review
The strength of this fascinating, highly readable volume is the author's extensive use of the participants' words, from mainly unpublished letters, diaries, memoirs, and other accounts, which are woven into an operational and strategic narrative. —Harold E. Raugh Jr.
~Harold E. Raugh Jr.
