Courage without Glory: The British Army on the Western Front 1915

Description

The year 1915 was one of unprecedented challenges for the British Army. Short of manpower, firepower and experience, the army needed time to adapt before it could hope to overcome the formidable German defences of the Western Front. Yet the insistent demands of coalition warfare required immediate and repeated action. The result was a year of disappointments, setbacks and costly fighting. The very difficulties of 1915 make it especially worthy of study. This book offers a fresh and insightful evaluation of the experience of the British Army through a series of thematic essays examining the strategic, operational, tactical and logistical problems that shaped the fighting. Within these pages are assessments of broad topics such as the performance of British high command, the `Shell Scandal' and the development of the Royal Flying Corps, as well as a thorough selection of battle studies which cast new light on engagements such as Neuve Chapelle, Second Ypres, Festubert and Loos. Special attention is placed on the composite nature of the British Army, with chapters examining Canadian, Indian, Regular and Territorial unit experience. Taken as a whole these essays offer an important reassessment of a forgotten year of the war, and illustrate the tremendous difficulties faced by the British Army as it endured a bloody learning curve in difficult conditions. This book will be of great interest to anyone who studies the First World War, and of particular value to those who seek a greater understanding of the British Army of the era.

Dr. Spencer Jones lectures at the Centre for First World War Studies at the University of Birmingham and at the History, Politics & War Studies department at the University of Wolverhampton. His previous publications include From Boer War to World War: Tactical Reform of the British Army 1902 - 1914, as well as numerous scholarly articles.

An important and very welcome addition to the historiography of the First World War. 1915 was a year of learning lessons and refining techniques on and off the battlefield, which this volume captures perfectly. * Journal of the Society of Army Historical Research * Both Spencer Jones, the editor, and Duncan Rogers of Helion must be commended for providing a superb volume in which these writers can display their talents. * British Journal for Military History * The diversity of voices and the range of subject matter allow the reader to gain a much broader appreciation of events from battalion up to corps level during the key encounters of 1915 in France and Belgium. ... variety is my thing and I want to learn as much as I can about a range of military history that sets the scene for the world I live in. This is the sort of book to do just that. It is brilliant. * War History Online 28/03/2016 *