The Indian Empire At War: From Jihad to Victory, The Untold Story of the Indian Army in the First World War - Hardcover

George Morton-Jack

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1408707691 ISBN 13: 9781408707692

Publisher: Little, Brown, 2018

Synopsis

A brilliantly original history of the First World War, re-tracing the footsteps of the Indian Army's 1.5 million men who in 1914-18 served about the globe from Europe to Africa, Asia and the Indian Ocean. After years of neglect, The Indian Empire at War raises the curtain on the Indian soldiers' personal experiences fighting for the Allies against the Central Powers, and returning home to play their part in the Indian Independence movement.

About this title

Review:

Beautifully written . . . essential to a proper understanding of the war and of our world of today. A much needed book (Michael Morpurgo)

Absorbing and welcome . . . explores a remarkably diverse fighting force of 1.5 million men of all castes and creeds . . . This book is a fitting testament to the sacrifices they made (Observer)

Revelatory . . . fluent and colourful . . . This book describes the war as a worldwide conflict involving a million Indian soldiers [and] shows how crucial they were to Allied success (Andrew Lycett Telegraph)

An outstanding book that brings to life the experiences of Indian soldiers in all of the theatres of WWI, from German colonies in China and Africa to the Middle East and the Western Front. Thoroughly researched and engagingly written, George Morton-Jack restores the Indian Army to its rightful place in the history of the Great War (Eugene Rogan, author of The Fall of the Ottomans)

Fascinating (BBC History Magazine)

The Indian Army's role in World War I is perhaps the least understood dimension of that global conflict. Although the centenary of the war sparked off some interest in the stories of these soldiers, there has been no sustained examination of their experiences. Army of Empire fills this void in our historical understanding admirably and comprehensively. Widely researched and vividly written, George Morton-Jack's account of the Indian Army's crucial contribution to the Allied victory is unlikely to be surpassed any time soon (Srinath Raghavan, author of India’s War)

Fascinating . . . George Morton-Jack writes with the compassionate heart of a poet and the cold eye of a historian seeing the vast canvas of the ages. We owe him gratitude for bringing light to a deserving but neglected part of world history; those of us with an interest in South Asia are forever indebted to him (Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic studies, American University)

A highly detailed look at India's global effort in their (mostly) patriotic devotion to the empire . . . World War I fans will appreciate the broad look (Kirkus)

One of the most interesting and informative works yet published on the Indian Army during World War I (History of War)

One of this year's most enlightening reads . . . Written with brilliant verve from the perspective of the Indian soldier and using almost entirely new information, it fits the Indian experience superbly into the overall Great War narrative (Andrew Roberts BBC History)

Book Description:

A brilliantly original history of the First World War, re-tracing the footsteps of the Indian Army's 1.5 million men who in 1914-18 served about the globe from Europe to Africa, Asia and the Indian Ocean.

About this edition

• Publisher: Little, Brown
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1408707691
• ISBN 13: 9781408707692
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 592