Book Review: Kitchener's War: British Strategy from 1914-1916,

Archives

by George H. Cassar

Washington: Potomac Books, 2004. Pp. xviii, 362. Illus., maps, notes, biblio., index. $22.95 paper. ISBN:1574887092

In Kitchener's War, Prof. Cassar, who has written extensively on British leadership during the Great War (Kitchener: Architect of Victory, The Tragedy of Sir John French, etc.), takes a fresh look at the shaping of British strategy during the first two years of the struggle. 

Cassar approaches the subject through the person of Lord Kitchener, who was instrumental in trying to shape a unified Allied strategy until his death in 1916. Kitchener probably had the clearest vision of anyone in the principal European armies, and realized early that it would be a long war.  With a cast that includes many of the most notable politicians and generals of the twentieth century, the book helps throw new light on how Britain groped its way, with many set backs and diversions, toward the creation of a modern army and the formation of a winning strategy, and, though perhaps not stressed, laid the foundation for modern combined arms operations.. 

A useful book for anyone interested in World War I and the "military revolution" of the twentieth century.

Reviewer:    


Buy it at Amazon.com

X

ad

Help Keep Us From Drying Up

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling.

Each month we count on your contributions. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage.
Subscribe   Contribute   Close