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The Last Charge of the Australian Light Horse

From the Australian bush to the Battle of Beersheba - an epic story of courage, resilience and derring-do
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Last Charge of the Australian Light Horse by Peter FitzSimons delves into the dramatic and gripping account of the Australian Light Horse Brigade's daring raid at Beersheba during World War I. Set against the backdrop of the Middle Eastern theatre, the book captures the bravery and strategic brilliance of these men as they execute the last great cavalry charge in modern warfare. FitzSimons paints a vivid picture of the historical context, bringing to life the courage, camaraderie and challenges faced by the soldiers in this pivotal moment of military history.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're fascinated by gripping narratives of historical military feats and have an interest in the detailed accounts of pivotal battles. It vividly brings to life the courage and strategy of the Australian Light Horse during World War I, making it a compelling read for history and military enthusiasts.

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From the bestselling author of Kokoda and Gallipoli, the extraordinary story of the Australian Light Horse, their defining World War I battle: the iconic cavalry charge at Beersheba in October 1917, and the brave men who built the legend.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

On 31st October 1917, as the day's light faded, the Australian Light Horse charged against their enemy. Eight hundred men and horses galloped four miles across open country, towards the artillery, rifles and machine guns of the Turks occupying the seemingly unassailable town of Beersheba. What happened in the next hour changed the course of history.

This brave battle and the extraordinary adventures that led to it are brought vividly to life by Australia's greatest storyteller, Peter FitzSimons. It is an epic tale of farm boys, drovers, bank clerks, dentists, poets and scoundrels transported to fight a war half a world away, and is full of incredible characters: from Major Banjo Paterson to Lawrence of Arabia; the brilliant writer Trooper Ion Idriess and the humble General Harry Chauvel; the tearaway Test fast bowler 'Tibby' Cotter and the infamous warhorse, Bill the Bastard. All have their part to play in the enthralling, sprawling drama of the Australian Light Horse.

Theirs was a war fought in an ancient land with modern weapons; where the men of the Light Horse were trained in sight of the pyramids, drank in the brothels of Cairo and fought through lands known to them only as names from the Bible.

The Last Charge of the Australian Light Horse traces the hard path of the Light Horse from the bleakest of starts - being deprived of their horses and fighting at Gallipoli in the tragic Battle of the Nek - to triumph and glory in the desert. Revealing the feats of the Australians who built the legend, it is a brilliantly told tale of courage, resilience and derring-do from Australia's favourite storyteller.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780733646676

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 01 November 2023

Country: Australia

Imprint: Hachette Australia

Contributors:

  • Read by Richard Bligh

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 46.0mm

Width: 162.0mm

Height: 240.0mm

Weight: 800g

Pages: 604

About the Author

Peter FitzSimons AM is Australia's bestselling non-fiction writer, and for the past 39 years has also been a journalist and columnist with the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD and the SUN-HERALD.

He is the author of a number of highly successful books, including BREAKER MORANT, BURKE AND WILLS, MONASH'S MASTERPIECE, KOKODA, NED KELLY and GALLIPOLI, as well as biographies of such notable Australians as Sir Douglas Mawson, Nancy Wake and John Eales. His passion is to tell Australian stories, our own stories: of great men and women, of stirring events in our history.

Peter grew up on a farm north of Sydney, went to boarding school in Sydney and attended Sydney University. An ex-Wallaby, he also lived for several years in rural France and Italy, playing rugby for regional clubs. He and his wife, Lisa Wilkinson AM - journalist, magazine editor and television presenter - have three children; they live in Sydney.

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