Britain and Her Army, 1509-1970: A Military, Political & Social Survey

by Correlli Barnett

A complete history of the British Army Provides all the details about the way the Army is run that are impossible to find elsewhere Packed full of maps, photos and line drawings Correlli Barnett is renowned for making military history both exciting and readable

Genres: History, Military Fiction, Military History, British Literature

525 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

A freelance historian and writer, Correlli Barnett was educated at Trinity school and Exeter College, Oxford, where he took a degree in modern history. After national service in the Intelligence Corps from 1945 to 1948, Barnett worked for the North Thames Gas Board until 1957, then in public relations until 1963. He was historical consultant and part author of the BBC series 'The Great War' and won the 1964 Screen Writers' Guild Award for best British television documentary script.

Reviews

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good history of the development of the English and then British army. Barnett provides useful insight into how Britain's geographical position meant that she did not need a large army such as possessed by the continental powers and the important effect this lack of an army had on the development of British constitution. Without an army the Government could not enforce its will and so democracy and the rule of law were able to flourish. Orwell had it right: "A navy employs comparatively few people, and it is an external weapon which cannot affect home politics directly. Military dictatorships exist everywhere, but there is no such thing as a naval dictatorship." Barnett tries to cram in 500 years of history into just 500 pages so necessarily he occasionally skimps over things but that aside this is well worth reading.