Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #483062 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 342 pages

Synopsis
This books explains why the British Army fought the way it did in the First World War. It integrates social and military history and the impact of ideas to tell the story of how the army, especially the senior officers, adapted to the new technological warfare and asks: Was the style of warfare on the Western Front inevitable? Using an extensive range of unpublished diaries, letters, memoirs and Cabinet and War Office files, Professor Travers explains how and why the ideas, tactics and strategies emerged. He emphasises the influence of pre-war social and military attitudes, and examines the early life and career of Sir Douglas Haig. The author's analysis of the preparations for the Battles of the Somme and Passchendaele provide new interpretations of the role of Haig and his GHQ, and he explains the reasons for the unexpected British withdrawal in March 1918. An appendix supplies short biographies of senior British officers. In general, historians of the First World War are in two hostile camps: those who see the futility of lions led by donkeys on the one hand and on the other the apologists for Haig and the conduct of the war.

Professor Travers' immensely readable book provides a bridge between the two.

Customer Reviews

Balance at Last!
Great book and about time too, restores a bit of reason to the "Lions led by Donkeys" historical perspective of the British Army in WW1.

This book is the first I have read that presents a fair assessment of the British Army from top to bottom in WW1 and does so with due consideration to the time and the place instead of presenting the war with the huge advantage of hindsight.

The book style is more academic than popular but it is very readable shedding light on subjects and perspectives not covered by previous generations of military historians. The main focus of the book is the social and military developments from 1890s onwards and the consequences leading to the Battle of the Somme and beyond. There is also a very enlightening section on the writing of the official history and the conflicting personalities involved which have argueably coloured historians view of the war ever since.

If you are remotely interested in WW1 you must read this book.

A Well Written Essay on the Real Truth about the British Generals
This is a well researched and well written essay on the British Generals role during the Great War of 1914-1918. One of the main points raised was off course the planning, execution and conduct of the Battles of the Somme 1916 which is remembered 90 years ago this week. Tim Travers explores the mythology and the realities of the terrible struggles endured by the British Army during those summer months. Why the battles went on as long as they did, and remember that the Somme consisted of a few battles, and not one great battle as commonly believed. Why the Generals struggled to gain ground and secure a victory. What was the relationship between General Haig and General Rawlinson GOC of the 4th Army? This is explored in much greater detail than previous. And what effect, if any did the Somme have on the Great War as a whole? I do not believe after years of my own research, that the Somme was a total failure for example. The Germans suffered considerable losses due to Haig's persistant in maintaining the offensive which weakened the German Army and contributed to its final defeat in 1918. Moreover, Haig was bold enough to introduce the 'New Technology' during the autumn of 1916, the 'Tanks' which although were not entirely successful, proved that they could, if used correctly, break down the trench system and the stalemate which had persisted since the autumn of 1914. This essay is a bold attempt to encourage the reader to understand the awful problems the British Generals had in defeating the German Army in the Field from 1916 onwards. For too long now, the British High Command had been severly criticised for the wasteful losses in manpower for little ground gained. A greater understanding is now needed by readers of military history, and this book does attempt a great deal towards that.

Enlightening
This book contains a lot of detail that I have found lacking in many books about the performance of both the BEF and its Senior officers throughout the conflict.
I would class it as a 'must read' but with one reservation - the book comes across as having a central theme and that is that Haig and his staff were not up to the job and this book is setting out to prove it.
While personally I do not judge any of the fighting on the western front to have been 'well fought and well planned' and do not apply this to just the BEF - the two most successful offensives in the West were both German (Initial invasion in 1914 and then the Michael offensives in 1918) neither achieved their objectives either and ultimately cost Germany the war.