Collected reviews for The Indian Empire at War by George Morton-Jack

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

‘Revelatory... This book shows how crucial the Indian soldiers were to Allied success.’
Andrew Lycett, The Daily Telegraph

‘An extraordinarily original contribution to our understanding of the important Indian role in the First World War.’
Sir Max Hastings

‘Morton Jack has given a voice to hundreds of thousands of soldiers who fought overseas for an Empire and would be widely forgotten from the UK to India and Pakistan. Important and moving.'
Dan Snow

‘An eloquent, scholarly and impressive study of a neglected subject. George Morton-Jack fairly and sympathetically portrays the soldiers of the Indian Army in all their diversity of feelings, motives, actions and loyalties.'
David Gilmour, author of The British in India

‘A highly original account of the First World War. For a hundred years India, as the British Empire’s ‘jewel in the crown’ and principal garrison, has not been accorded a dedicated history of its own military contribution to the global war that broke out in 1914. Now George Morton-Jack’s extremely readable narrative provides the first, revealing the Indian Army’s story among the fighting forces of the world.’
Professor Sir Hew Strachan

‘Fills a gap that should have been dealt with long ago.’
Professor Sir Michael Howard

‘Written with brilliant verve, The Indian Empire at War fits the Indian experience superbly into the overall Great War narrative.’
Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny

‘Punchy [and] puts the Indians of the First World War squarely on the map… Taking us into the trenches, not squeamish about the consequences of parasites and rats, Morton-Jack has given us the Indian empire at war.’
Yasmin Khan, Times Literary Supplement

‘The Indian Army was of absolutely crucial importance to Britain in the First World War, but that simple fact has too often been neglected. Impeccably researched and very well written, George Morton-Jack's book should go a long way to rectifying this case of historical amnesia.’
Professor Gary Sheffield, author of A Short History of the First World War

‘The role of the Indian Army in the First World War has been largely ignored, which is why Morton-Jack’s book, an absorbing and well-researched study, is so welcome. It explores a remarkably diverse fighting force – 1.5 million men of all creeds and castes – who were sent thousands of miles from home… This book is a fitting testament to the sacrifices they made.’
Alexander Larman, The Observer

‘A comprehensive analysis of the Indian Army's experience between 1914 and 1918. Covering every theatre of conflict, painstakingly researched and vividly written, The Indian Empire at War is full of colour and interest and is strongly to be recommended.’
Professor David Stevenson, author of 1914–18

‘This is no simple narrative but a tour de force that reflects the complexity of its subject. Morton-Jack writes with an easy flowing grace to expose a veritable chasm of under-explored Great War history: The Indian Empire at War incisively summarises the entirety of India's contribution to the British war effort, excels in its treatment of the Western Front, and challenges many shibboleths. Overall Morton-Jack brings refreshing new perspectives on the Indian Army as a war-winning machine, exposing the cruel nature and sheer brutality of the British colonial regime the Indian soldiers served, and laying bare the endemic racism they shamefully suffered.’
Peter Hart, author of The Great War

‘An impressive, humane, and myth-busting book.’
Allan Mallinson, The Spectator

'Ranging from personal experience to high-level strategy, The Indian Empire at War offers fascinating insight into a conflict that was both imperial and global. The true scale and scope of Indian involvement in the First World War remains underappreciated, even in India itself. George Morton-Jack's lively and compelling account explains why and how 1.5 million Indian soldiers fought on three continents, what difference this made to the war, to them and to India.’
Peter H. Wilson, Chichele Professor of the History of War, All Souls’ College, Oxford

‘Outstanding... 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… 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: The Great War in the Middle East

‘Fascinating . . . 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

‘This is dramatic history: epic, perceptive and poignant. Morton-Jack tells the story of India’s war with compassion and authority. Essential reading.’
Dr. Glyn Prysor, Chief Historian, Commonwealth War Graves Commission

‘A lively history of the Indian Army in all its tragedies, difficulties and occasional triumphs… Morton-Jack reveals the touching humanity of the Indian soldier.’
Ian Jack, The Guardian

‘Magisterial and yet immensely readable… Morton-Jack skilfully presents the reader with the first comprehensive telling of the Indian story and places it in a global context. This is the book for anyone interested in an authentic broad-based account of the role played by India and its soldiers in the defining conflict of the 20th century.’
Rana Chhina, India Today

‘Splendid... A multi-layered, rigorously researched and empathetically interpreted account of the Indian contribution to the Great War.’
Chitrapu Uday Bhaskar, Hindustan Times

‘Morton-Jack puts in painstaking effort into piecing together the lives of these intrepid warriors who lived in a tumultuous, topsy-turvy age… This historian’s account is thorough and painfully blunt… The indictment of British rule in India is readily apparent.’
Anuja Chandramouli, New Indian Express

‘A deeply researched and highly readable account of the vital contribution Indian soldiers made to Allied victory in World War One by a talent to watch.’
Saul David, author of 100 Days to Victory: How the Great War Was Fought and Won

‘The Indian Empire at War is narrative military history at its most impressive. There is no other work so comprehensive on the Indian Army at war overseas – from fighting on the Pacific rim, the dreadful British failures in Iraq and desert warfare in North Africa, to U-boat attacks in the Mediterranean, the war in Italy and POWs in Germany.’
Thomas R. Metcalf, Professor of History and Sarah Kailath Professor of India Studies Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley

‘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. The Indian Empire at War fills this void in our historical understanding admirably and comprehensively. Widely researched and vividly written, 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: The Making of Modern South Asia, 1939–45