Supplying the British Army in the First World War

by Janet MacDonald

An in-depth look at the logistics of keeping the British Army fed, clothed, armed, and supplied during World War I.   Napoleon famously said that an army marches on its stomach, but it also marches in its boots and its uniforms, carrying or driving its weapons and other equipment, and all this material has to be ordered from headquarters, produced and delivered. Janet Macdonald’s detailed and scholarly new study explains how this enormously complex task of organization and labour was carried out by the British army during the First World War.   She describes the personnel who performed these tasks, from the government and military command in London to those who handled the items in the field. They were responsible for clothing, accommodation, medicine, transport, hand weapons, armament, and communications—a vast logistical network that had evolved to keep millions of men in the field.   This meticulously researched account of this important subject—one which has hitherto been neglected by military historians—will be essential reading and reference for anyone who is interested in the modern British army, in particular in its organization and performance in the First World War.

373 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 12, 2020

Reviews

[Chrystyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfortunately I ran out of time to read this. It's an excellent book, well written and easy-ish to read, but despite that, I couldn't concentrate to read it more quickly. That says more about my current state of mind than it does about the book. Shame I had to return it before I found my mojo. Maybe another time.

[Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Logistics of The Great War

The book moves quickly from one aspect of the war to the next. I found it interesting to learn about this component of the war as I do not recall it detailed much in standard historical books. This is an in depth study of logistics and supply. An enjoyable book.

[Gil Hahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very specialized but informative