We Are Coming, Unafraid: The Jewish Legions and the Promised Land in the First World War - Hardcover

by Michael Keren (Author), Shlomit Keren (Author)

This book tells the little-known stories of Jewish soldiers who served in the Jewish Legions during World War I. Three all-Jewish battalions formed in the British army as part of the Allies' Middle East campaign, recruiting soldiers from the United States, Canada, England, and Argentina. Drawing on diaries, memoirs and letters, the book follows their journey at sea through unrestricted submarine warfare; by trains and trucks through Europe, Egypt, and Palestine; and their battlefield experiences. The authors show how these Yiddish-speaking young men forged a new kind of soldier identity with unique Jewish features, as well as an evolving sense of nationalism.

Author Biography

Michael Keren is professor of political science and communication and culture at the University of Calgary. He is the author of many scholarly books, including The Pen and the Sword. Shlomit Keren is associate professor of history and director of Israel Studies at the University of Calgary.