The Oxford History of the British Army - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0192853333 ISBN 13: 9780192853332

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1997

Synopsis

From the Napoleonic Wars to the battle of the Falklands, from the pike and musket to the Challenger tank, The Oxford History of the British Army brings to life the far-reaching history of this long-lived institution.
This definitive one-volume reference provides a wealth of historical detail as it takes readers on a lively journey through the annals of the British Army. Here are vivid descriptions of all the famous military campaigns and battles--from Agincourt and Crecy, to Trafalgar, Waterloo, and Yorktown Heights, to Dunkirk and D-Day--as well as insightful portraits of the great commanders, including Edward I, the Duke of Marlborough, Cromwell, the Duke of Wellington, and Field Marshall Montgomery. Military experts and military history buffs will be particularly interested in the special sections that highlight vital aspects of the Army, including tactics, weaponry, and major figures. Finally, the volume boasts a distinguished roster of contributors, including not only prominent military historians, but also former servicemen, who provide expert technical insight and vivid, eyewitness accounts of modern soldiering and warfare.
Comprehensive and authoritative, The Oxford History of the British Army will fascinate military history buffs as well as anyone seeking a broader understanding of British or modern world history.

About this title

About the Author:

About the Editors:
David Chandler is a distinguished military historian and former Head of the Department of War Studies at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. He is also President Emeritus of the British Commission for Military History, a Vice-President of the Commission Internationale d'Histoire Militaire, and the author of twenty-eight books. Ian Beckett is Head of the School of Literature and History at the University of Luton, and formerly Senior Lecturer in the Department of War Studies at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.

Review:

'there has been a volte face: good use of 'highlight' features, illuminating diagrams of siege, campaign and capture ... At last we can see what actually happened in the battle of New Orleans.' Fiona MacCarthy, The Observer

`It has been some time since a major work on the British Army has been published. Now it has arrived, it has to be one of the most interesting ever produced. It comes from Oxford University Press and is compiled by a team of the most knowledgeable military historians in Britain under the leadership of David Chandler. Here in single volume is the essence of the glorious centuries in which Britain has been the world's leading nation.' Military and Aviation Book Society

'... a fine book: informative, interesting and attractive and well worth buying.' Soldiers of the Queen: The Journal of the Victorian Military Society. Issue 79 (Dec 94)

'...a highly readable and thorough history which will both entertain and educate.' Forces News. Dec '94

'Oh, what a lovely history! All the trials, tribulations, political in-fighting, famous battles and great names are there.' Michael Boon. Western Mail. Dec '94

' ... compelling volume ... The discussions are brought right up to date with a look at the army of the future.' Express and Echo. Dec '94

'has the advantage that each chapter can be read as a self-contained piece ... And another sensible layout feature is that special subjects throughout are treated in forty-two separate boxes. The chronology at the back of the book provides a concise reference to the significant dates in the Army's history and there is an excellent bibliography. The 250 or so illustrations ... are superb. An excellent publication ... The OUP is to be congratuled.' Frank O'Shanohun, The Officer, January/February 1995

`This is a book which everyone interested in the history of the British Army should read, and which every genuine military historian should possess. Lavishly and well illustrated, both in colour and in black and white, it is attractively designed and commands a list of distinguished contributors.' James Lunt, Army Quarterly and Defence Journal, Volume 125, No. 1, January 1995

`Its scope is comprehensive and its authority impressive. No review can do justice to the book's excellent layout. Well captioned black-and-white photographs buttress the text, and there are blocks of colour plates at regular intervals. This is an admirable book which commends itself to military historians and interested general reader alike.' Richard Holmes, The Battlefields Trust News, July 1995

`It is a serious work, copiously researched, designed to appeal as much to students of military history as the general reader.' Times Higher Education Supplement

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0192853333
• ISBN 13: 9780192853332
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 496
• Editor: Chandler David, Beckett Ian