The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Army

Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Hardcover. Very good. Format is approximately 7.5 inches by 9.75 inches. xvii, [1], 493, [1] pages. List of Maps, List of Colour Plates, List of Contributors, Chronology, Bibliography, Acknowledgment of Sources, and Index. Illustrations. Maps. David Geoffrey Chandler (15 January 1934 - 10 October 2004) was a British historian whose study focused on the Napoleonic era. As a young man he served briefly in the army, reaching the rank of captain, and in later life he taught at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Oxford University awarded him the D. Litt. in 1991. He held three visiting professorships: at Ohio State in 1970, at the Virginia Military Institute in 1988, and Marine Corps University in 1991. According to his obituary in The Daily Telegraph, his "comprehensive account of Napoleon's battles" (The Campaigns of Napoleon) is "unlikely to be improved upon, despite a legion of rivals. ... General de Gaulle wrote to Chandler in French declaring that he had surpassed every other writer about the Emperor's military career." He was also the author of a military biography of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and of The Art of Warfare in the Age of Marlborough. Among the contributors to this volume are: Edward Spiers, Brian Bond, Carlo D'Este, Anthony Farrar-Hockley, John Strawson, and Michael Yardley From the Napoleonic Wars to the battle of the Falklands, from the pike and musket to the Challenger tank, The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Army brings to life the colorful and far-reaching history of this long-lived institution. Lavishly illustrated with more than two hundred and seventy black-and-white pictures, twenty-four color plates, and fourteen maps, this volume provides a wealth of historical detail as it takes readers on a lively journey through the annals of the British Army. Here are vivid descriptions of all the famous military campaigns and battles--from Agincourt and Crecy, to Trafalgar, Waterloo, and Yorktown Heights, to Dunkirk and D-Day--as well as insightful portraits of the great commanders, including Edward I, the Duke of Marlborough, Cromwell, the Duke of Wellington, and Field Marshall Montgomery. And the breadth of coverage is superb, ranging from the Army's medieval origins, to the days of empire, to the critical issues facing the contemporary army. This vividly written chronicle is further supplemented with chapters focusing on themes of special interest, such as the controversial and costly role of the British Army in Northern Ireland, the Army in India, the function of the Army in peacetime, and the philosophy of British military policy--all of which are examined from a range of political, economic, military perspectives. Military experts and military history buffs will be particularly interested in the twenty-one detailed special sections that highlight vital aspects of the Army, including tactics, weaponry, and major figures. Finally, the volume boasts a distinguished roster of contributors, boasting not only prominent military historians, but also former servicemen, who provide expert technical insight and vivid, eyewitness accounts of modern soldiering and warfare. Comprehensive, authoritative, and lavishly illustrated, The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Army will fascinate military historians well as anyone seeking a broader understanding of British or modern world history.