Even today the picture of the Light Horseman, emu plumes in his hat, sabre drawn and charger at full gallop, stirs Australian blood. Sir Harry Chauvel was the leader and the greatest of them. The Imperial government acknowledged his stature in World War I when it placed its own formations under his command. The brilliant victories at Gaza, Beersheba and Damascus were his, and thus a great part of the Allied victory over Turkey. Chauvel was the first Australian to command a corps, and the first lieutenant-general. After the war he strove to develop Australia's young army and, despite public apathy and political sloth, developed the leaders who were to make the second A.I.F.

This work is one of the few full-scale studies of an Australian military leader who was also a fine and admirable human being. He commanded from the front, and was careful of the lives of his men. He was also one of the most 'air-minded' commanders of his time.

The author has spent many years in research for this book. It casts new light on what has been regarded as 'settled' questions of the military history of World War I in the Middle East, and famous figures such as Lawrence of Arabia appear in original evaluations.