The Old Contemptibles

Osprey Elite #24

by Michael Barthorp, Pierre Turner (Illustrator)

Osprey's study of British forces from the time of the Second Boer War (1899-1902) up to World War I (1914-1918). On 19 August 1914 Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered General von Kluck, commanding the German First Army, to 'exterminate the treacherous English and walk over General French's contemptible little Army'. The 'Old Contemptibles' adopted the aspersion like a treasured regimental title, their subsequent successes earning them a more accurate evaluation as 'the best trained, best organised and best equipped British Army that ever went forth to war'. This book examines the history, organization and uniforms of the British Expeditionary Force of the early 20th century. The text is accompanied by numerous illustrations, including maps, photographs, and colour plates.

Genres: Military History, History, Nonfiction, World War I, War

64 pages, Paperback

First published May 25, 1989

About the author

Michael John Barthorp was a British historian and writer, specializing in military history and military uniforms. He lived in Jersey, Channel Islands.

Barthorp attended Wellington College until the end of the Second World War. In September 1945, he joined the Rifle Brigade under universal conscription and was demobilised in 1958. After some time with the Royal Hampshire Territorials, he exchanged for a regular commission in the Northamptonshire Regiment in which his family had served for three generations.

Major Barthorp retired from service in 1968, to become a military historian and writer. He was a member of the Victorian Military Society and contributed to their magazine "Soldiers of the Queen".

Reviews

[Dimitri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected a summary of the tactics, weapons and uniforms that appeared at Mons. Not!

There is not enough room here to discuss ànd the uniforms ànd the retreat of 1914. The text is mostly raw data on weapons, with little discussion of tactics past generalities such as the 'mad minute', common in books on the WWI British Army. The colour plates contain a lot of full dress material, which is an odd choice when Osprey knows we read this for condiitions in the field where everyone wears plain khaki.