Britain and Her Army : A Military, Political and Social History of the British Army, 1509-1970

First published in 1970, Britain and Her Army was Correlli Barnett's sixth published book and earned him the Royal Society of Literature's W.H. Heinemann Award. It is a unique general study of the historical development of the British Army, from the reign of King Henry VIII to the end of the Second World War. Barnett shows how our military institutions transformed themselves over the course of four centuries of social and technological change. Civil wars, imperial conquest and two World Wars are described in detail, along with more day-to-day topics such as recruitment, administration, pay, the social origins of officers and men, supply and equipment. Through the book he compares developments in Britain with those in Continental armies, and analyses the lessons the British learned, or failed to learn, from their European cousins. The result is a truly comprehensive work, and a fascinating portrait of Britain's most misunderstood institutions.