Ian F. W. Beckett is a retired Professor of Military History whose work centers on the study of warfare. His expertise lies in examining military conflicts and their impact. Beckett's analysis offers deep insights into strategy and tactics.
The story of the British Army, from the first standing army in the seventeenth century, via the imperial army of the nineteenth century, the world wars, and the people's army of the twentieth century, through to the much smaller force of the 21st century and the new challenges it faces.
The story of Isandlwana, the battle that shocked the British empire at its zenith, and Rorke's Drift, which immediately followed it and went some way to restoring wounded British pride: how they were fought, how they have been remembered, and what they mean for us today.
A comprehensive new history of the shaping and performance of the British army during the First World War.
In-depth study of a key English county during the English Civil Wars.
A guide to British military history by a leading military historian
An original and spellbinding reinterpretation of the most significant events of the Great War Nearly a century has passed since the assassination of Austria-Hungary's Archduke Ferdinand, yet the repercussions of the devastating global conflict that followed echo still. In this provocative book, historian Ian Beckett turns the spotlight on twelve particular events of the First World War that continue to shape the world today. Focusing on episodes both well known and scarcely remembered, Beckett tells the story of the Great War from a new perspective, stressing accident as much as strategy, the small as well as the great, the social as well as the military, and the long term as much as the short term. The Making of the First World War is global in scope. The book travels from the deliberately flooded fields of Belgium to the picture palaces of Britain's cinema, from the idealism of Wilson's Washington to the catastrophic German Lys offensive of 1918. While war is itself an agent of change, Beckett shows, the most significant developments occur not only on the battlefields or in the corridors of power, but also in hearts and minds. Nor may the decisive turning points during years of conflict be those that were thought to be so at the time. With its wide reach and unexpected conclusions, this book revises--and expands--our understanding of the legacy of the First World War.
A classic account of the British army during the First World War. Wide-ranging analysis of every aspect of army life and organization. A vivid portrait of the army at war. * Written by leading experts in the field.
New look at the notorious Desert Fox of World War II by leading military historians.
How should history judge the life and career of Erwin Rommel, the most famous German general of the Second World War, 70 years after his death on 14 October 1944? In his own time and in the years immediately after the war his reputation as a great and chivalrous commander grew to the point where it took on almost legendary proportions, and the legend is still with us today. His support for the plot to remove Hitler from power in 1944 and the manner of his death, committing suicide in order to protect his family from Nazi retribution, further enhanced his image as an honourable, professional soldier. But does he deserve this legendary status? This book explores this question