"In 1914 Gaza was the springboard from which Turkish forces attacked the Suez Canal. In 1917 it was their salvation, blocking the British army's assault and its drive into Palestine." "After two British defeats, in 1917 General Allenby led a multinational army in a final attack on the outnumbered Turkish forces. Yet the Turks almost thwarted Lloyd George's ambition to capture Jerusalem by Christmas. John Grainger examines all aspects, even biblical, of the campaign and the British army's ultimate victory - a victory that brought in its wake a complex set of problems: British rule in Palestine, Jewish immigration, terrorism, the Israel/Palestine problem, the intifada, and, full circle, Gaza again." -- From the book jacket.

Lists of maps : Syria-Palestine, 1917 ; First Gaza ; Gaza-Beersheba Fortified Line, October 1917 ; Southern Palestine October-November 1917 ; The hills of Judaea.

A Note on Names --Prologue: To the Border of Palestine -- Decision to Invade -- Defeat at Gaza -- Defeated Again -- Wider Context -- Allenby Effect -- Third Attempt at Gaza -- Turkish Lines Broken -- Drive North -- Hills of Judaea -- Jerusalem for Christmas -- Why the British Won -- Appendix Composition of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force.