Steel Chariots in the Desert

I've always been fascinated by the WW1 armoured cars, especially the famous Rolls Royce Armoured Car which went on to serve through to WW2, and is probably the world's most famous and recogniseable armoured car. This is a fascinating account of the armoured Rolls Royce's, tales of them at high speed through the desert, raids on the Senussi and then adventures with Lawrence of Arabia, in the same armoured car but cut down to serve as a tender. I found the part before meeting Lawrence of Arabia the most fascinating, as first-hand accounts of armoured car crews are hard to come by, and the added addition of it being about the war in the desert pre-Lawrence of Arabia is even more interesting, as it's a theatre of war I didn't know much about, so this is really enlightening. It's a superb read and recommended for anyone with an interest in WW1 or military vehicles. If you're interested in both, like me, it's a must!

I brought this for a friend who loves human aspects of history. The story of a WWI driver in the desert was exceptional interesting and brought this forgotten campaign to life.

Very good for filling in those details which many accounts of the Arab rising do not include. An easy read.

Interesting read for history buffs by the driver of Lawrence of Arabia in WW1.

A good read. The second part in the Arab Revolt relects very much the diary of T. E. Lawrence and his Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Excellent.

A very interesting book, well written and hard to put down.

S C Rolls, the author, was a pre-war motor mechanic who enlisted into the Armoured Car Brigade of the Royal Naval Air Service in 1914. After a brief sojourn in the mud of Flanders this book follows his many adventures combating the Senussi Uprising in North Africa, rescuing captured British Sailors and fighting in support of Lawrence's Arab irregulars battling against the Turkish army in the Middle East. All this accomplished from behind the steering wheel of his beloved Rolls Royce Armoured Car (later converted to an unarmoured tender).Of particular interest is his association with a certain Colonel T E Lawrence, known affectionately by Rolls as the 'Skipper'. His description of their first meeting shows how he was captivated from the start by the inspirational aura surrounding this enigmatic Englishman who is so inextricably linked to the Imperial Army's Desert Campaign and the Arab Revolt against the Turks. As well as Lawrence, we are also introduced to several of the other important figures of the Middle East campaign such as Faisal, Allenby, Nuri Bey and Auda of the Howeitat.Rolls' often belligerent attitude, and that of many of his British Army colleagues, towards his Arab Allies resonates with the air of perceived Imperial superiority and is in stark contrast to the rather more sympatheitic approach taken by Lawrence.The author's narrative style is easy to read and the written text is supported by approximately half a dozen black and white photographs. Two maps illustrate the main areas of operation.I found this book an enjoyable read and the author's slightly anachronistic language and attitudes in no way detracted from it's worth. Recommended to anyone who wants to view the British Soldier's experiences of the Great War from a somewhat different perspective.