The British Army; The Definitive History of the Twentieth Century

by Imperial War Museum, introduction by Sir Max Hastings

• ISBN13: 9781844036028
• ISBN10: 1844036022
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-10-07
• Publisher: Cassell Illustrated

Summary

Created in close cooperation with the Imperial War Museum, this volume commemorates a century of British military service. The tour of duty begins with the Boer War and continues through today's conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Riveting firsthand accounts and hundreds of rare photographs and illustrations bring the combat experiences of everyday British soldiers alive. One hundred years of weapons, armor, and tactics are explored, along with the great leaders such as Mountbatten and Montgomery. What really sets this book apart are the stories behind such battles as Gallipoli, Cassino, and Goose Green, which are recounted by the men who fought them; their extraordinary words exemplify the legendary gallantry and grit of the British fighting man.

Author Biography

Sir Max Hastings is a well-respected journalist of over thirty years standing, having been editor of The London Evening Standard, and The Telegraph. He has covered various conflicts where British forces have been involved such as The Falklands in the 1980s, and has written several best-selling books, including Bomber Command, Warriors - Exceptional Tales From History, and has just completed writing his follow up to the successful Armageddon - Battle Over Germany.

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Table of Contents

Introduction 1900-1914

The Naval Arms Race

The First World War 1914: The pursuit of Goeben and Breslau

First Heligoland Bight

The cruise of the SMS Emden

Defence of Antwerp

Battle of Coronel

Battle of Cocos

Battle of the Falkland Islands

The Battle of the Atlantic - the early stages 1915: Dardanelles Campaign

the Naval assault

the RN Division

the evacuation Dogger Bank

sinking of the Dresden

sinking of the Konigsberg

the Battle of the Atlantic - unrestricted warfare and the Lusitania 1916: Jutland

the Battle of the Atlantic - re-establishment of the blockade 1917: Second Battle of Heligoland Bight

The Battle of the Atlantic - unrestricted warfare once more 1918: The Battle of the Atlantic - last gasp of the U-boats

Operation E.C.1 (Battle of May Island/Isle of May)

the Zeebrugge Raid

attack on Ostend

surrender of the German High Seas Fleet

scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet

1918-1939 Russian Civil War intervention

The Invergordon Mutiny

Treaties and conferences

Naval re-armament

construction of Singapore and the British Pacific Fleet against Japan

The Second World War

1939-40: Mobilization of Royal Navy

First sinking of a U-Boat

start of the Battle of the Atlantic Sinking of the Royal Oak

Battle of the River Plate

Grap Spee Scuttled

Breaking of the Enigma code

The Norwegian Campaign

Operation Dynamo

British Naval Force H attacks French at Mers-el-Kebir

Operation Hurry

Royal Navy ferry flight to Malta

Lend-lease agreement for 50 US destroyers

Royal Navy attack French in Dakar

Loss of the Jervis Bay, Taranto

1940-41: Cape Matapan

Evacuation of Greece

Capture of U110 and the German Enigma

The Bismarck and HMS Hood

Battle for Crete

First Russian convoy

Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse

Cape Bon

First Battle of Sirte

Sinking of HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Valiant

1941-42: The Channel Dash

Battle of the Java Sea

Battle of the Sunda Strait

Second battle of Sirte

Japanese Carrier Attacks on Ceylon

Destruction of Convoy PQ17

Operation Pedestal Convoy to Malta

Operation Torch

Battle of the Barents Sea and Convoys JW51A and JW51B

1942-43: Battle of the Atlantic: victory of the escorts

Operation Husky

Operation Baytown

Operation Avalanche

Surrender of Italian Fleet at Malta

Midget submarine attack on the Tirpitz

British Aegean Campaign

Operation Frankton raid on Bordeaux harbour by 12 men of the Royal Marines Boom Patrol Detachment (Cockleshell Heroes)

Battle of North Cape

sinking of the Scharnhorst

1944-45: Operation Shingle

landing at Anzio

Assault on the Tirpitz

Operation Neptune

Operation Dragoon

Sinking of the Tirpitz

Walcheren operation

Battle of the Scheldt

Royal Navy returns to the Pacific

Okinawa Campaign

RN joins campaign against Japanese home islands and final surrender

1945-1989 Palestine Emergency

Malayan Emergency

The Korean War

Suez Crisis

Cyprus Emergency

Kuwait

Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation

Tanganyika

The Aden Emergency

Beira Patrol

The Cod Wars

Northern Ireland

Armilla partol

The Falklands War

Beirut 1990-2006 The First Gulf War

Bosnia

Kosovo

Sierra Leone Civil War

East Timor

Afghanistan

The invasion of Iraq, Beirut

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