EAN 9781849088596

Winston Churchill described the opening campaign of the First World War as 'a drama never surpassed. ' The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) played an immensely significant role in the colossal clash of Europe's armies in 1914, which has gone on to be one of the greatest stories of 20th century history. Although pride in the British Army's achievements was reflected in the official accounts of the fighting they were, understandably, restrained about its shortcomings and this set the template for subsequent accounts of the campaign, which were tamely accepted with little or no attempt at critical engagement.