The First World War remains a controversial subject: the bitter reality is often clouded with popular - and damaging - myths.Many of these misconceptions relate to the competence of the generals and the true outcomes and achievements of battles - particularly the battles fought during 1915. The reality of these battles has increasingly been distorted by the allegation that the men were ‘lions led by donkeys’, with much of the blame put on the relevant commanders.In this well-researched and highly readable book, Robin Neillands reveals the truth behind this fallacy and the events surrounding the battles, and sets them in a wider context. By the start of 1915, a tough year for the British in France, the British Army had only been in action for four months and the burden was shifting to the Territorial Forces – enthusiastic amateurs at the best of times. The battles were either disasters or inconclusive, but the real reason for despair was that this war, entered into for the liberation of Belgium, had lost its moral argument and was now just another bloody, senseless slaughter.The Death of Glory is a superb work of both narrative - and argumentative - history.Praise for Robin Neillands:‘One of Britain’s most readable historians’ – Birmingham Post‘Neillands' willingness to call a spade a spade will catch the popular imagination. His central argument is hard to fault’ – Literary ReviewRobin Neillands is the author of several acclaimed works on the First World War including The Great War Generals on the Western Front, Attrition: The Great War on the Western Front, 1916 and The Old Contemptibles.
advertisement