The Making Of The British Army

The Making Of The British Army

by Allan Mallinson (Author)

Synopsis

Edgehill, 1642: Surveying the disastrous scene in the aftermath of the first battle of the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell realizes that war can no longer be made in the old, feudal way: there has to be system and discipline, and therefore - eventually - a standing professional army. From the 'New Model Army' of Cromwell's distant vision, former soldier Allan Mallinson shows us the people and events that have shaped the army we know today. How Marlborough's momentous victory at Blenheim is linked to Wellington's at Waterloo; how the desperate fight at Rorke's Drift in 1879 underpinned the heroism of the airborne forces at Arnhem in 1944; and why Montgomery's momentous victory at El Alamein mattered long after the Second World War was over. From the Army's origins at the battle of Edgehill to our current conflict in Afghanistan, this is history at its most relevant - and most dramatic.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 439
Publisher: Bantam
Published: 12 May 2011

ISBN 10: 0553815407
ISBN 13: 9780553815405
Book Overview: The definitive story of the British Army from a former soldier and commander, now one of the UK's bestselling historical novelists.

Media Reviews
Fascinating... clear and concise... important. It is hard to see this book being bettered in the near future -- Simon Heffer * DAILY TELEGRAPH *
I learned a lot -- Jeremy Paxman * OBSERVER *
This is no mere paperback edition of Mallinson's acclaimed 2009 hardback. He presents a revised and updated version that no self-respecting defense commentator can risk being without * THE TIMES *
A compelling history of the British Army -- Emmanuelle Smith * FT *
Mallinson is surely right to stress the one enduring quality of the British Army: 'operational resilience' -- Saul David * SPECTATOR *
Author Bio
Allan Mallinson was a soldier for thirty-five years, serving first with the infantry and then the cavalry. He began writing while still serving. His first book was a history of four regiments of British light dragoons, one of whose descendant regiments he commanded. It was followed by A Close Run Thing, the first novel in the acclaimed and bestselling series chronicling the life of a fictitious cavalry officer, Matthew Hervey, before and after Waterloo. His The Making of the British Army was shortlisted for several prizes, while his centenary history, 1914: Fight the Good Fight - Britain, the Army and the Coming of the First World War won the British Army's Book of the Year Award. Its sequel, Too Important for the Generals, is a provocative look at leadership during the Great War. Allan Mallinson also writes for The Times, is history editor for Unherd.com and reviews for the TLS and the Spectator. He lives on Salisbury Plain.