Challenge of Battle: The British Army in 1914

This study re-evaluates the British Expeditionary Force during the opening months of World War I, offering a measured campaign narrative of Mons, Le Cateau, the Aisne and the defence of Ypres. It balances the army's noted shooting skills against wider tactical and organizational shortcomings.

The book analyses senior leadership, unit organisation and battlefield decision-making, drawing on diaries, letters and contemporary accounts to recreate front-line experience. It traces how early mistakes and rapid adaptation shaped the British response across 1914.

Suitable for readers of military and operational history, the work combines tactical analysis with firsthand testimony to clarify both the achievements and limits of the BEF in 1914.

• Campaign coverage: Mons to Ypres
• Leadership and tactical analysis
• Based on diaries, letters and eyewitness accounts
• Operational and social history perspectives

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