Questions the general assumption that the British army which set sail for France in August 1914 was the best prepared force ever despatched from the British isles. Reveals instead that the army was by no means as well prepared for European continental warfare as many have presumed. ...a balanced, scholarly and very readable book, which expertly blends broad thematic analysis, well-marshalled evidence, and illuminating anecdote, to offer both an important new perspective on British military preparations in the years before 1914 and a richly detailed portrait of Britains armed forces during a pivotal period in their history.