The Making of the British Army

by Allan Mallinson

The definitive story of the British army from one of the UK's bestselling historical novelists.

From the English Civil War to today's War on in this sweeping account of nearly 500 years of military history, former soldier Allan Mallinson looks at how the Army's dramatic past has made it one of the most effective fighting forces in the world today.

He shows us the people and events that have shaped the army we know how Marlborough's momentous victory at Blenheim is linked to Wellington's at Waterloo; how the desperate fight at Rorke's Drift in 1879 underpinned the heroism of the airborne forces in Arnhem in 1944; and why Montgomery's momentous victory at El Alamein mattered long after the Second World War was over.

This is the story of hard-won military experience. From the Army's birth at the battle of Edgehill in 1642 to our current conflict in Afghanistan, this is history at its most relevant -- and most dramatic.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military History, Military Fiction, War, British Literature

339 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Brigadier Allan Lawrence Mallinson is an English author and was an officer in the British Army.

Mallinson is best known for writing a series of novels chronicling the (fictional) life of Matthew Hervey, an officer serving in the (fictional) British 6th Light Dragoons from the late Napoleonic Wars through subsequent colonial conflicts in India, North America and south Africa.

Reviews

[David Nehaul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contained within such a (comparatively) short volume, this complete history of the British Army is necessarily lacking in detailed analysis at times. However, this does not end up detracting from the overall quality of the book. Like many works of military history of broad scope, Mallinson’s book charges through the first few centuries addressed, providing descriptions of actions such as Edge Hill, Dettingen, and Waterloo, followed by insightful analyses of their significance in effecting changes within the British military. The Great War and Second World War are covered in more detail, with the author’s personal experience of conflicts during the 1980s and 1990s providing a unique and personal insight combined with thoughtful analysis of the wider picture.

The real strength of the book; however, is in its last few chapters, which address the question of how the army should now be managed and what it should actually prepare for. The position Mallinson takes here seems to have irritated a few previous reviewers, but his strong support for the continuing maintenance of the manpower and traditional operational capability of the military is neither unsurprising nor illogical. Mallinson’s preference for the maintenance of a large and well trained infantry rather than impressive sounding and expensive equipment programmes provides a welcome antidote to years of government spin regarding defence funding, and should perhaps be prescribed as mandatory food for thought for those making the high level decisions.

Although the initial chapters are slightly hurried, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in British military history, defence and strategy studies, or modern political decision making. Mallinson has done a fine job of relaying and analysing the formative moments of one of the most capable military forces in the world, and his concluding thoughts about the state of the modern British Army should be required reading for everyone involved in defence matters.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mallinson's work is certainly an interesting one, and worth a read. Taking a good overview of the British army and its operations at a brisk pace without ever getting bogged down in minutiae, he has a good, clear style of writing which serves the work well. The selection of topics is good, if perhaps a little predictable, and he enlivens it with well chosen quotations from primary sources which do a lot to enliven the works without overwhelming the prose. His decision to mix the personal perspectives with the overview is certainly enjoyable, and there's enough information to whet the appetite for further reading.

Some of the other reviews have rightly cited Mallinson as not being entirely unbiased, as a former serving British Army officer, and that there are likely certain aspects of the army historically which are presented with a certain pro-Army perspective. That being said, I don't think this is necessarily an issue - I don't think the author ever really tries to hide his biases or state opinion as absolute fact, and it certainly serves the general flow of the book that he keeps his personal observations extant in the text. I also think that, given the book was likely written to serve a wider purpose than just Mallinson's wallet (namely, to encourage interest and support for the Army, and to present a perspective on events which is less common today), it's no bad thing and shouldn't be something to detract from the reading of the book.

Overall, I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the topic, and indeed it serves as an interesting starter if you're new to military history or the British army as a whole. if I had some criticism, it's that the pace occasionally means that some depth of narrative is missing (or, at least, I wanted to learn a bit more about certain engagements or individuals), but the flip side of that would be that it could quickly become turgid and unreadable. Genuinely enjoyable and worth a look!

[Jerôme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not just military, also political and social aspects are taken into consideration and it all reads well.
The author has a dog running here, unsurprisingly as he is/was a British officer and this fact obviously facilitates the writing of the book, leading both to valuable insights as well as to a certain loss of objectivity.

[Mark Bowden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sound single-volume history of the British army, written in an approachable style. The author hangs the story on a series of what he sees as crucial moments in the army's development, most of them battles. As he was a soldier himself it benefits from the insider's view, though that has some downsides. For instance, as a soldier he deplores the repeated cutbacks to the military every time peace breaks out; as a mere civilian I have to say that I prefer my taxes to be spent on health, education, welfare, culture, even though I know that war will break out again and the armed forces will have to be re-built. Historically Britain has relied on its Navy for its main defence (a point which Mallinson acknowledges along the way) and we have never been able to afford a large permanent army. The author's view of the modern, post-Second World War, army might seem slightly rose-tinted to some commentators but it is probably too early to say. Mallinson concludes the book with a look to the future but as it was written nearly 15 years ago it is already somewhat out-of-date.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A history of the British army from The past until recently. It is a great read and gives you a great oversight of how Britain has squandered their men and material.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it but thought it got a bit boring as the boers blur into the zulus

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retired brigadier Allan Mallinson traces the history of Britain’s army to the creation of the New Model Army during the English civil war. Unlike armies of old, the New Model Army was a professional, standing one; it wasn’t a feudal rabble, an emergency militia rudely armed with farm implements and dispersed as soon as danger was over. After the roundheads were defeated and cheerful corruption replaced by dour, humorless corruption, the army found a peaceable purpose for itself as the keepers of public order. Although frequently challenged by fiscal tightening, England’s rise as an influencer on the continent — and then the world — gave it steady work, despite being overshadowed by the Navy. Although Making is technically a military history, it’s not a chronicle of battles. Instead, the focus is on the British army as an organization; certain battles are highlighted for bringing prominent leaders to the fore, or developing Britain’s military philosophy. I found it quite the education, and not just about the British army! Whenever I encounter lancers in the 19th century, for instance, I invariably used to think of them as medieval anachronism that Europe hadn’t gotten around to disbanding yet. I had no idea that lances actually made a comeback once infantry began going without armor ! That’s what happens when most of one’s military interest involves either swords and shields, or airplanes: a great deal in the middle is overlooked entirely.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I found Allan Mallison's book somewhat interesting, it was of course biased. He seemed to find it unnecessary to mention the difficulties had by the lower ranked soldiers nor did he really touch on the discipline they faced but as it was only a general history it was to be expected.

[Shlomz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book succeeds in creating a coherent narrative for the British army. It's strength lies in explaining the way in which past campaigns helped shape the army, while its main weakness lies in the (overt) partisanship of the author.

[Philip Chaston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clean survey; now I know more about the transitory nature of regiments.