Matthew Randell

Palestine, 1917. The British advance has been stopped by the Turkish line running from Gaza to Beersheba. The latest attack on Gaza has failed. The attacking forces included a regiment of Australian mounted infantry, the Light Horse... Lighthorseman Frank is wounded in a skirmish with Bedouin. He is replaced by a young soldier, Dave, who proves to be a crack shot, but reluctant to fire at the enemy. Dave proves himself during a German biplane attack. Recuperating in hospital, he meets a sympathetic nurse, Anne... The regiment is called upon for a bold flanking attack on Beersheba. But how do you convince the Turks the main attack will come at Gaza? And how do you attack across a desert without water?

Diane Lane is intelligent and ambitious. When she is elected to Parliament her idealism and commitment give her unpopular party a boost. Everyone, including the Prime Minister, is eager to share her limelight. Diane’s ambition is not satisfied with her new position. Diane’s married lover, Barry Robbins, the Minister for Health, is unaware of Diane’s ultimate plan. Her closest friend, Louise Parker, a political journalist, is a bit more realistic about what women can achieve; she too has a higher goal in mind.