Challenge of Battle: The Real Story of the British Army in 1914

by Adrian Gilbert

Winston Churchill described the opening campaign of World War I as ‘a drama never surpassed’. The titanic clash of Europe’s armies in 1914 is one the great stories of 20th-century history, and one in which the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) would play a notable part. Previous assessments of the BEF have held to an unshakeable belief in its exceptional performance during the battles of 1914. But closer examination of the historical record reveals a force possessing some key strengths yet undermined by other, significant failings. Within an authoritative and well-paced campaign narrative, Challenge of Battle re-evaluates the Army’s leadership, organization and tactics. It describes the problems faced by commanders, grappling with the brutal realities of 20th-century warfare, and explains how the British infantry’s famed marksmanship has to be set against the inexperience and tactical shortcomings of the BEF as a whole. But it also demonstrates the progress made by the British during 1914, concluding with the successful defense of Ypres against superior enemy forces. The author examines the fateful decisions made by senior officers and how they affected the men under their command. Making full use of diaries, letters and other contemporary accounts, he builds a compelling picture of what it was like to fight in the battles of Mons, Le Cateau, the Aisne and Ypres. In this thought-provoking new book, Adrian Gilbert clears away the layers of sentiment that have obscured a true historical understanding of the 1914 campaign to provide a full, unvarnished picture of the BEF at war.

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

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Adrian Gilbert is a British author and historian who writes primarily on the subject of military history – particularly relating to wars of the 20th century.

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book looks at the British Army's efforts in the crucial period of 1914 between the beginning of the Great War until late November. It concentrates on the well-known battles of Mons and Le Cateau, plus the infamous retreat to the Marne, where the Germans were stopped. From there it switches to the battlegrund which was to obssess the Brtish for the next four years--Ypres.

There are some good maps although the book probably could have used more, good descriptions of the fighting, and interesting observations about the men who did the fighting. As in any war, the first few months were difficult. Old ideas and ways die hard. Artillery was scarce, and the Germans were still determined to take Paris, and hopefully drive the British from the war as Falkenhayn optimistically predicted in late October, 1914. That they failed was due to the courage of the poilu and the 'Old Contemptibles', who held the line in those early months. Alas, the old British Army of 1914 practically ceased to exist as a result, but like the phoenix it rose from the ashes to fight for the many bloody days to come.

[KOMET · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Challenge of Battle" is, perhaps, the finest book yet written on what was the British Army of 1914. Of all the major European powers, Britain possessed the smallest peacetime army. Yet, despite its size, it was a force that had been seasoned over the past century in various colonial wars fought in Africa and Asia.

The common impression formed of the British Army upon taking the field in France in August 1914 and marching north into Belgium (where it first clashed with the German Army at Mons), was that despite its small numbers, it managed, owing to superior firepower and riflemanship, to always stay one step ahead of the Germans, helping their French allies to buy time, and thus keep Paris free and France afloat, at the First Battle of the Marne. Gilbert sets out to show the reader that the British Army was not without its faults, both in terms of tactics and its leadership. Indeed, "[t]he overall performance of the BEF [British Expeditionary Force] during the 1914 campaign was uneven. The peacetime failings in command and control had been ruthlessly exposed on many occasions, and the vital necessity for the separate arms to work closely together was a lesson that was painfully and sometimes inadequately learned. The morale of the other ranks had proved too dependent on the inspirational qualities of their officers; when officers became casualties, or otherwise failed as leaders, the men fell back from exposed front-line positions with alarming frequency. Good leadership at all levels was a precursor to battlefield success."

The story of the British Army's actions at Mons, Le Cateau, along the Aisne River, and in Flanders during October and November 1914 is well-detailed and a fascinating one. It is a story in which Gilbert shows to fine effect his extensive knowledge of the subject. Plus, this is a book that even the layperson can easily digest without getting lost (or hopelessly bogged down) in the minutiae of military jargon that often clouds books on military history. I'm so glad I read this one.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, well-researched, and unflattering history of the BEF, covering its strengths and weaknesses in detail.

Gilbert’s rendition of the campaigns is straightforward and easy to follow. He pens a fairly critical portrait, and “deliberate prevarications” is the kindest thing he can say about the BEF’s official history (“official but not history,” to quote Liddell Hart) He disputes the idea that Mons or Le Cateau were British victories of any sort, as well as the notion that the BEF was made up of “elite” troops of any kind. He also brings up the point that much of the BEF was made up of reservists, rather than the popular image of it consisting of professional servicemen. Overall, Gilbert concludes that the BEF’s record was uneven at best. The maps are useful, and Gilbert’s rendition of the battles is clear and easy to follow, and his discussion of artillery is particularly good, as well as the problem of desertion and the experience of stragglers.

The title and preface seem to promise a radical sort of revisionism; I’m not sure this is the case. There’s not much new material, and the book relies heavily on secondary sources. Garnet Wolseley is called a “field marshal” at one point, and Gilbert often cites casualty statistics without elaborating on their effect.

Readable, insightful and informative.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm studying history and we are currently on the topic about World War 2. I really enjoy history and I'll continue to take it as my subject to year 12. I'm absolutely sure that this book will help me to get a better understanding about WW2. I really want to win this book!!!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable book, which is one of many that I have read, on this particular period concerning the BEF in 1914. It conspicuously refrains from glorifying the ‘Old Contemptibles ‘ in the way other books have and rightly glossies over celebrated small actions, within the overall picture. I didn’t really find any new facts within the book that seriously contradicts other more jingoistic accounts. But the author does bring to the fore enough evidence to contradict the historical view. Which is one of a small elite infallible fighting force that contained the invading German army in northern France, single handedly.

[Mike Glaser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the BEF in the first five months of the war. Very balanced and goes to great lengths to show both the strengths and weaknesses of the "old Army".

[Soobie is expired · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

A little explanation before starting my review. This books is about the British army and I'm not that familiar with WW1 from a British point of view. I studied the subject when I was at school but it was all about Italy and our border issues. Nonetheless I'm quite interested in all things military.

With this book the author wants to set things straight. He thinks that the official historiography hasn't been honest about what happened in 1914 on the Western front. From my point of view, I actually don't know what historiography says and that was a bit difficult to grasp at the beginning.

The book is very interesting and all the archive digging that Gilbert did gave a nice addition to his telling: real witnesses add a flavor of truth to the book. Too bad that every now and then the editing didn't put long quotes in their proper paragraphs (me nitpicking here!). At the same time sometimes the book was very slow to read and, maybe, too detailed with names of company and divisions and people that got mixed in my head.

There are some nice paragraphs that were kind of funny. At around page 150 the author mentions the fact that most of the British soldiers had discarded their official gear, hat included. During that time, however, it was very fashionable for British soldier to wear woman hat that they took from houses or were given by French women. I found that passage very funny, sorry.

Another part that I really found interesting was the one about rifles cleaning. Not having enough oil or cleaning instruments, rifles were difficult to operate and had a slower fire rate. In order to make them work they had actually to piss on them to extract the old cartridge and put a new one.

In the end, I was glad of having read this book. It gave me a in-depth look on the Western front, that was very detailed but maybe a bit unfelt. But all I've been reading about WW1 so far were accounts of people (who later in life became great writer) who were there and there one has maybe less details but lots of feeling.