Allenby: Making the Modern Middle East
Ruth Nasrullah
C. Brad Faught
2020, I.B.Tauris, 978-1-350-13647-2. $24.26 pb.
This book presents an exquisitely thorough biography of Edmund Allenby (1861–1936), the British military and diplomatic leader of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Recounting Allenby’s life, Faught gives us a window into the geopolitical, colonial strife of the time, including the run-up to Allenby’s conquest of Palestine in 1917 and eventual installation as Governor of Egypt in 1919. Allenby confirms the crucial role of biography in gaining insight into the challenges of today’s middle east. Faught is a history professor at Toronto’s Tyndale University, and this book is just the latest in his exploration of the lives and influence of major European players in the region. The book compacts a lot of information with rich detail into its pages. Settle in for a very insightful historical recounting of the life of one of the major figures in the making of today’s middle east. This is a history lover’s dream of a book.
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