The modern wars of the Middle East began in 1947, when the Syrians, Egyptians, Jordanians and Lebanese were unofficially at war with the Jewish settlers of Palestine. On the 15 May, the day afer Israel was declared a sovreign state, the Arab invasion began. Between then and 1973 five wars occurred: those of 1948; the Sinai War; the Six-Day War; the 1968-1970 War of Attrition and the 1973 October War. This book examines the organization, training and equipment of the key Arab armies during these conflicts and the variey of uniforms are illustrated by a number of contemporary photographs and full colour artwork.
An expert in 20th century forces, John Laffin has written extensively on he Australian army as well as the conflict in the Middle East. His other title for Ospey in the Men-at-Arms series is MAA 123 The Australian Army at War 1899-1975.Mike Chappell comes from an Aldershot family with British Army connections stretching back several generations. He enlisted as a teenage private in the Royal Hampshire Regiment in 1952 and retired in 1974, as RSM of the 1st Battalion The Wessex Regiment (Rifle Volunteers), after seeing service in Malaya, Cyprus, Swaziland, Libya, Germany, Ulster and home garrisons. He began painting military subjects in 1968 and has gained worldwide popularity as a military illustrator. Mike has written and illustrated many books for Osprey.