In the 1930s and 1940s, the military historian and strategic analyst Basil Liddell Hart developed the British 'Way in Warfare' thesis, which characterised British practice in warfare as a 'naval body' with two arms - one financial, expressed through trade, and the other military, comprising the deployment of combined army-naval operations. Though this theory has been the subject of much criticism, Reassessing the British Way in Warfare offers a much needed re-evaluation of its merits during the reigns of William and Anne.

By examining the origins, progress and consequences of...

In Conflict and Soldiers' Literature in Early Modern Europe, Paul Scannell analyses the late 16th-century and early 17th-century literature of warfare through the published works of English, Welsh and Scottish soldiers. The book explores the dramatic increase in printed material on many aspects of warfare; the diversity of authors, the adaptation of existing writing traditions and the growing public interest in military affairs.

There is an extensive discussion on the categorisation of soldiers, which argues that soldiers' works are under-used evidence of the developing...

The Mughals, British and Soviets all failed to subjugate Afghanistan, failures which offer valuable lessons for today. Taking a long historical perspective from 1520 to 2012, this volume examines the Mughal, British, Soviet and NATO efforts in Afghanistan, drawing on new archives and a synthesis of previous counter-insurgency experiences. Special emphasis is given to ecology, terrain and logistics to explain sub-conventional operations and state-building in Afghanistan.

War and State-Building in Modern Afghanistan provides an overall synthesis of British, Russian, American...

In 1711, the newly formed Great Britain launched its first attempt to conquer French North America. The largest military force ever assembled to fight on the continent was dispatched and combined with colonial American units in Boston before proceeding up the St Lawrence River for Quebec. An additional colonial force set out from Albany to march on Montreal - but neither Briton nor colonist reached their respective targets.

Adam Lyons looks at the expedition as a product of the turbulent political environment at the end of Queen Anne's reign and as a symbol of a shift in politics and...

Youth, Heroism and Naval Propaganda explores the young maritime hero became a major new figure of war propaganda in the second half of the long eighteenth century. At that time, Britain was searching for a new national identity, and the young maritime hero and his exploits conjured images of vigour, energy, enthusiasm and courage. Adopted as centrepiece in a campaign of concerted war-propaganda leading up to the Battle of Trafalgar, the young hero came to represent much that was quintessentially British at this major turning-point in the Nation's history.
By drawing on a wide range of...

The first major work on this enigmatic British general for more than 40 years, William Howe and the American War of Independence offers fascinating new insights into his performance during the revolution in America.

From 1775 to 1777, Howe commanded the largest expeditionary force Britain had ever amassed, confronting the rebel army under George Washington and enjoying a string of victories. However, his period in command ended in confusion, bitterness and a parliamentary inquiry, because he proved unable to crush the rebellion.

Exactly what went wrong has puzzled...

The South African and Vietnam Wars provoked dramatically different reactions in Australians, from pro-British jingoism on the eve of Federation, to the anti-war protest movements of the 1960s. In contrast, the letters and diaries of Australian soldiers written while on the South African and Vietnam battlefields reveal that their reactions to the war they were fighting were surprisingly unlike those on the home fronts from which they came.

Australian Soldiers in South Africa and Vietnam follows these combat men from enlistment to the war front and analyses their words...