From Liddell Hart to Joan Littlewood

This volume brings together a selection of Brian Bond's most interesting contributions to books and journals on British military history in the 20th century. They are arranged around three large subjects: the First World War, the interwar decades, and the Second World War with concluding reflections on the author's 'Farewell to Arms' at the end of a distinguished career in the Department of War Studies at King's College, London. Brief new introductions have been written to provide...
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This volume brings together a selection of Brian Bond's most interesting contributions to books and journals on British military history in the 20th century. They are arranged around three large subjects: the First World War, the interwar decades, and the Second World War with concluding reflections on the author's 'Farewell to Arms' at the end of a distinguished career in the Department of War Studies at King's College, London. Brief new introductions have been written to provide background information and contexts for each essay.

Sir Basil Liddell Hart's name appropriately forms part of the titles since he was the author's original inspiration and mentor. His early career and influential publications on the First World War are critically discussed as is his later 'partnership' with the reforming War Minister, Lesley Hore-Belisha. Professor Bond also acknowledges his tremendous debt to his research supervisor and 'founder' of War Studies, Sir Michael Howard. Other essays provide fascinating examples of the author's main interests, including the Western Front and civil-military relations; the significance of post-1918 war memoirs; and the nadir of the Army's fortunes between the World Wars and its performance in France and Belgium in 1939-40. This section is complemented by case studies of Field Marshals Gort and Ironside.

In recent years Professor Bond has been a leading critic of the 'Lions led by Donkeys' school who have misrepresented and denigrated Britain's achievement in the First World War. His target, the concluding essay in this volume, are the historical shortcomings of the stage and film version of "Oh! What a lovely War" - hence the inclusion of Joan Littlewood's name in the title.