Trial by Fire: Command and the British Expeditionary Force in 1914(Contributions in Military Studies)

While existing accounts of this period have elevated the exploits of the British soldiers on the battlefield to almost legendary status, the operations of the British Expeditionary Force in the dramatic opening campaign of the First World War remain poorly understood. Based on official unit war diaries, as well as personal papers and memoirs of numerous officers, this study sheds significant new light on the retreat from Mons in August 1914, the advance to the River Aisne in September, and the climactic First Battle of Ypres in October and November. In addition, Gardner provides important insights into the ideas and values of British officers in the initial stages of the war. Beyond explaining the conduct of the 1914 campaign, Gardner analyzes the initial stages of the learning curve experienced by British officers as they grappled with an unaccustomed type of warfare, including the unprecedented scale and intensity of the conflict as well as the advent of trench warfare. He also demonstrates the impact of rivalries among senior officers on the operations of the army. As a whole, the study adds depth to our understanding of command in European armies during the First World War.

Table of Contents:
Maps Introduction The"Hybrid" Officer Goes to War: British Commanders and Staff Officers in 1914 Command in Crisis: Mons, Le Cateau, and the "Great Retreat" The Advance to the Aisne and the Advent of Trench Warfare, 6-30 September The Costs of Confidence: Command and the Demise of II Corps, 1-30 September Losing the Race for the Flank: The First Incarnation of IV Corps, 9-25 October A Hazardous Experiment: Command and the Indian Corps in the First Battle of Ypres The Victors of First Ypres: Sir Douglas Haig and I Corps, 21 October-11 November Conclusion: Personal Leadership, "Hybrid" Officers and "Social Darwinism": The Nature of Command in 1914 Bibliography

About the Author :
NIKOLAS GARDNER is currently lecturer in Military History at the University of Salford in the United Kingdom. After receiving his Ph.D. in History from the University of Calgary, he taught European and Military History at the University of Calgary and Mount Royal College.

Review :
"A perceptive and thoughtful book which makes an excellent read. An important examination of the exercise of command in the BEF up to the end of first Ypres concentrating on command at Corps level and at GHQ. This important work is essential reading in understanding how the BEF operated in 1914."-Stand To! Journal of the Western Front Association "Gardner's important book adds much to our understanding of the BEF as an army, and of operations in 1914....[a]n interesting, well-argued and original survey which is recommended to those interested in the First World War, or questions of military leadership."-War in History ?[A] fresh and original study....[p]rovides some new and thought-provoking insights into the conduct of the BEF's operations from Mons to First Ypres.?-Birmingham Univ. Centre for 1st World War Studies ?[T]his is an important contribution to the current historiography and Gardner certainly presents the case for the wider re-examination of the French and German archival records in 1914 in the light of his own work on the British Expeditionary Force.?-History: The Journal of the Historical Association ?A perceptive and thoughtful book which makes an excellent read.?-Stand To! Journal of the Western Front Association ?Gardner's important book adds much to our understanding of the BEF as an army, and of operations in 1914....[a]n interesting, well-argued and original survey which is recommended to those interested in the First World War, or questions of military leadership.?-War in History "ÝA¨ fresh and original study....Ýp¨rovides some new and thought-provoking insights into the conduct of the BEF's operations from Mons to First Ypres."-Birmingham Univ. Centre for 1st World War Studies "ÝT¨his is an important contribution to the current historiography and Gardner certainly presents the case for the wider re-examination of the French and German archival records in 1914 in the light of his own work on the British Expeditionary Force."-History: The Journal of the Historical Association "[A] fresh and original study....[p]rovides some new and thought-provoking insights into the conduct of the BEF's operations from Mons to First Ypres."-Birmingham Univ. Centre for 1st World War Studies "[T]his is an important contribution to the current historiography and Gardner certainly presents the case for the wider re-examination of the French and German archival records in 1914 in the light of his own work on the British Expeditionary Force."-History: The Journal of the Historical Association