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Raising Churchill's Army: The British Army and the War against Germany 1919-1945
 
 
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Raising Churchill's Army: The British Army and the War against Germany 1919-1945 (Paperback)

by David French (Author)
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
RRP: £30.00
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Product details

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: OUP Oxford; New Ed edition (5 Jul 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0199246300
  • ISBN-13: 978-0199246304
  • Product Dimensions: 23 x 15.6 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 295,371 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #28 in  Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Historical Figures > Winston Churchill
    #57 in  Books > History > World History > Inter-war Period 1919-1938

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  • See Complete Table of Contents

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Product Description

I.M. Roth, CHOICE, Jan 2001.

"masterful and fascinating book ... not just a military history but a carefully woven account of the political, economic, social, and personal elements that illustrate the way that an army is equipped and led, and how and why it fights."


Review

arresting new study ... a bold book - the boldness of its conception too easily taken for granted - as stimulating and discriminating as anything in the field since the iconoclastic Firepower: British Army Weapons and Theories of War 1904-1945 (1982) by Shelford Bidwell and Dominick Graham ... His work is a comprehensive exercise in ground-clearing, and a searching assessment of each element of fighting power ... It is a noble calling, and it makes a convincing book. (Alex Danchev, Times Literary Supplement )

French succeeds admirably in modifying the judgement of those who have contrasted the British army's performance unfavourably with that of the Germans. As he remarks, 'the British had never believed that they could win their battles by pitting man against man, and indeed they never believed that they should even try to do so'. In the end, it was better to be soldiers than warriors.' (Reviews in History )

masterful and fascinating book ... not just a military history but a carefully woven account of the political, economic, social, and personal elements that illustrate the way that an army is equipped and led, and how and why it fights. (I.M. Roth, CHOICE, Jan 2001. )

French's study is based on an exhaustive examination of previously unused primary material, and as such it will stand as the definitive work on the structure of the British Army between 1919 and 1945 ... it will win a devoted following from specialists in the history of World War II. (John P. Rossi, History, Summer 2000. )

David French's book makes compelling reading for any serious student of the Second World War ... this book makes a key contribution to the debate about how the British fought the Second World War, and why the Allies took so long to win it. (Evening Standard )
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Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Clear sighted account of Britain's army in WW2, 15 Feb 2003
By Charles Vasey (London, England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
David French presents a very clear and sensible account of why Britain's army developed as it did. He opens with a review of how the army was seen after the war, the boosterism that was replaced by revisionism and discusses especially well the German assessments of British performance (and some were pro, even if the most quoted were con).

He describes how from much the same experience the British and German armies went in different directions. I found especially useful the section on national perceptions. The British who favoured individuality avoided the harsher training and command structures of the Germans, but were consequently left issuing detailed orders while the more rigidly trained Germans could operate more freely because of this training.

French reviews the shortcomings of British tank design and of the opposing German vehicles. His work on artillery is very informative - one gets the impression that the Germans (Achillies-like) felt the artillery (so like Paris) was an ungentlemanly (or just unmanly) way to win wars. French clearly feels that its massed use was a sensible response to the tactical problem. Considering Alan Brooke was a gunner it was surely to be expected.

A judicious history.

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The story of the British WWII 'New Model Army'., 28 Oct 2001
This book details the story of the development of the British Army from the end of WWI through until the close of WWII. It illustrates a failure to match interwar doctrine to training procedures and equipment. It shows the frustrating early failures of the army to try to carry out this doctrine and it's steady realisation that the Germans were better at it. With this realisation it changes the rules that it is prepared to play by and is then almost universally succesful.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A well balanced account, 7 Jun 2007
By C. G. Horner (london, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This is an exemplary account of the army in WW2. I'm puzzled that one reviewer should find it confirming his view of the British army's 'inferiority' to the Wehrmacht. My understanding was that it learned to play from its strengths and minimise the effects of its weaknesses (as all successful armies must do). Using artillery, the RAF and set piece battles did this. It's not somehow a failure if you don't fight the battle your adversries want you to fight; rather the reverse, I would have thought. And it led to victory - the best evidence of success there is.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for understanding how the British Army operated during the Second World War
If anyone wants to understand why the British Army fought the Second World War the way they did, this is the book for you. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Carl

5.0 out of 5 stars The how's and the why's explained.
This book explore the many levels of influence on shaping the British Army. Social, political, military and economic background is covered in depth, giving the reader a full... Read more
Published 3 months ago by O. Langstøyl

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Overview of the British Army Performance in WW2
This is an exceptional overview of the British Army's performance in the West during WW2 and why it came about the way it did. Read more
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5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough analysis
This book is a must for anyone who wants to understand British strategy during WW2. For me, I never understood why the British Army was so inferior to the Wermacht throughout WW2... Read more
Published on 18 Jan 2006 by Donaldo

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