Thanks to their experiences in the Boer War, the British probably had the most experienced army in the world at the start of the WWI. Not only was there a rather large standing army, but there were also a lot more of her citizens in the various reserve units that could be called up when needed.

When the British went to France in August of 1914, the initial British Expeditionary Force was equipped with the best that the nation could offer.  However, this was not true of those who joined them just a short time later. These men were made up from the Territorial Guards and those called into active duty. While their training was still first-rate, their equipment was bordering on the obsolete. This had a negative effect on the overall effort, and was one that would take considerable time to overcome. In some cases, it wasn't until the later years of the conflict before the oversights were corrected.

Author Bruce Gudmundsson takes an in-depth look at Britain's best during the first year of the war. This was a year when trench warfare became the norm and it seemed that nothing the British tried seemed to work well for them as they went from defeat to defeat.

This book looks at all the various aspects of the British Expeditionary Force from its mission, to the training of its men, the organization of the various units, the role of various headquarters and the Royal Flying Corps. Sections are devoted to tactics used during combat operations, weapons used during this period and the lessons learned from their experiences in early battles. Some of these battles are discussed in some depth to see where things went awry.

Overall, this is a superb book with a goodly number of period photos and excellent maps & charts. A keen insight into the operations and tactics of the British Army in the first year of WWI.

November 2005

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