Description
Book SynopsisKut-al-Amara was the site of one of the longest siege ever endured by British forces. On December 3, 1915, the 6th Indian Division under Charles Townshend sought refuge from pursuing Turkish forces inside the walled town. This book offers important insights into Britain's imperial army and its role in the Middle East during World War I.
Trade ReviewThe author's balanced presentation of Townshend as the architect of his own failure rests on a persuasive analysis of the ill effects on tactical operations of entrenched prejudices about the abilities of non-western soldiers. Nikolas Gardner has filled an unexplored niche in the literature on the British campaigns in Mesopotamia. The Siege of Kut-al-Amara will appeal to general readers as well as scholars interested in this remote theater of the First World War.
* Michigan War Studies Review *
Rooted in archival research and narrated with panache, The Siege of Kut-al-Amara fills a gap in the burgeoning literature not only on the Mesopotamia campaign during the First World War but also on the experience of warfare in the extra-European campaigns more generally.
* Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations *
Gardner has produced a bold and thought-provoking operational study, which is to be commended for presenting its argument in a clear and concise fashion. The Siege of Kut-al-Amara will prove a useful starting point for students and scholars wishing to explore the first half of Britain's campaing in Mesopotamia and raises challenging questions about the difficulties of battlefield command, even if some of the strategic avenues are left unexplored.
* Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research *
"This book would make for an excellent case study in any military history lecture or seminar. Gardner provides a clear and concise guide of the key is- sues of the Mesopotamian campaign and the historiography around Townshend and military failure."
* H-Net Reviews *
Table of ContentsPreface
1. Charles Townshend and His Army: 6 Indian Division in the Fall of 1915
2. Townshend's Advance on Baghdad: September-November 1915
3. Retreat from Ctesiphon: 25 November-7 December
4. Outset of the Siege: December 1915
5. Operations of the Relief Force, January 1916
6. Deprivation and Defeat: February-March 1916
7. Innovation, Starvation and Surrender, April 1916
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
