Armageddon - The Journey of the Australian Light Horse in the Middle East

One of the most interesting books to come out recently on the Anzac story is that by Australian journalist and writer Paul Daley and photographer and Insiders favourite Mike Bowers. Their book is called Armageddon, and it tells the story of the Australian Light Horse in Egypt and the Middle East.

The book is not only a history - with amazing photographs and maps - but also the story of the authors travels to the places where the Anzacs lived, fought and died in the this famous campaign in the First World War.

Armageddon is actually a real place, called Megiddo, in the state of Israel.
Paul Daley and Mike Bowers, who have been friends for years, decided to follow in the footsteps of the Australian Light Horse, tracing their WWI battles in the Holy Land.
One of the most famous parts of this campaign was the charge of the Light Horse at the battle of Beersheeba on 31st October 1017. This was famously portrayed by Australian war artist George Lambert:

It was also commemorated in the famous memorial statue erected at Beersheeba in Israel - a statue desinged and created by the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee's sculptor, Peter Corlett OAM. Below is a photograph of his state:

Mike and Paul went to Palestine, the Jordan Valley, to Syria and Lebanon, visiting the battlefields where shrapnel, bullet casings and even human bones are still scattered.
The book of stories and photographs of their epic journey is called Armageddon: Two Men on the Anzac Trail published by Miegunyah Press.

Published in 2011, you can still pick up a copy of this book at most bookshops/

The authors were interviewed on the ABC. You can listen to them tell the story of their journey and that of the Australian Light Horse by clicking here.

Jim Claven
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee