Full Description
A plain-English guide to Britons in battle, from the Roman invasion to the ongoing Iraqi war Charging through the Britain's military past, this accessible guide brings to life the battles and wars that shaped the history of Britain-and the world. The book profiles commanders, explains strategies and tactics, and covers key developments in weaponry and technology.
Contents
Introduction 1
Part I: Ancient and Medieval Warfare 7
Chapter 1: Small Islands with Lots of Clout 9
Chapter 2: Swords, Sandals, and Geometry: The Romans 15
Chapter 3: Arthur, Alfred, and Aethelstan: The Dark Ages 29
Chapter 4: The Hard Knight's Day: The Norman Conquest and Medieval Period 39
Part II: The Arrival of Gunpowder 57
Chapter 5: With Pike and Shot: Renaissance Warfare 59
Chapter 6: Hearties versus Gloomies: The Civil Wars 69
Chapter 7: Founding a Regular Army: The Late Seventeenth Century 81
Part III: Wars of Succession, Independence, and Revolution 91
Chapter 8: O'er the Hills and Far Away: Marlborough Country and Beyond 93
Chapter 9: Risings and Rebellions: Jacobites and Americans 117
Chapter 10: Revolting Frenchmen, The Grand Old Duke, and Boney: The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars 133
Chapter 11: Wellington Boots the French Out: The Peninsula to Waterloo 143
Part IV: Nineteenth-Century Wars 171
Chapter 12: Britain's Little Wars: Imperial Expansion 173
Chapter 13: Helping Turkey Fight the Bear: The Crimean War 187
Chapter 14: Rebels, Rajahs, and a Rani: The Indian Mutiny 203
Chapter 15: Home and Away: Reorganisation, Re-Equipment, and More Trouble in India 223
Chapter 16: Boots, Boots, Boots, Boots: Marchin' Over Africa 239
Part V: The First World War 267
Chapter 17: 'Hangin' On the Old Barbed Wire': The Western Front, 1914-1917 269
Chapter 18: Storm Troopers and Tank Attacks: The Western Front, 1918 287
Chapter 19: Turkey With All the Trimmings: The Middle East and Beyond, 1914-1918 297
Part VI: The Second World War (and Beyond) 319
Chapter 20: Phoney War, Panzers, and Miracles: The Outbreak of the Second World War 321
Chapter 21: Sun, Sand, Sea, and Tanks: The Middle East and North Africa, 1940-1943 331
Chapter 22: One Bloomin' Ridge After Another: The Italian Campaign, 1943-1945 353
Chapter 23: Beachheads and Bridges: Normandy and Northwest Europe, 1944-1945 361
Chapter 24: Welcome to the Jungle: The Far East, 1941-1945 377
Chapter 25: Around the World in 60 Years: Operations 1945-2006 393
Part VII: The Part of Tens 411
Chapter 26: Ten Great British Generals 413
Chapter 27: Ten Decisive Battles in British Military History 419
Chapter 28: Ten British Military Museums Worth Visiting 423
Index 427
