Architect of Victory: Douglas Haig

by Walter Reid

A thoughtful reassessment' - Stand To! 'Sharp and clear...swift and surefooted' - The Scotsman 'A careful biographer' - Times Literary Supplement 'Those new to the Haig debate will receive a good introduction. Those already familiar with the subject matter will enjoy Reid's writing style and reflective moments' - The British Army Review 'An outstanding success. The argument is beautifully presented and written in very clear English. This is a substantial work which follows the rules of classical biography' - Politique étrangère Douglas Haig's popular image as an unimaginative butcher is unenviable and unmerited. In fact, he masterminded a British-led victory over a continental opponent on a scale that has never been matched before or since. Contrary to myth, Haig was not a cavalry-obsessed, blinkered conservative, as satirised in Oh! What a Lovely War and Blackadder Goes Forth. Fascinated by technology, he pressed for the use of tanks, enthusiastically embraced air power, and encouraged the use of new techniques involving artillery and machine-guns. Above all, he presided over a change in infantry tactics from almost total reliance on the rifle towards all-arms, multi-weapons techniques that formed the basis of British army tactics until the 1970s. Prior re-evaluations of Haig's achievements have largely been limited to monographs and specialist writings. Walter Reid has written the first biography of Haig that takes into account modern military scholarship, giving a more rounded picture of the private man than has previously been available. What emerges is a picture of a comprehensible human being, not necessarily particularly likeable, but honourably ambitious, able and intelligent, and the man more than any other responsible for delivering victory in 1918.

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

496 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2007

Reviews

[Stephen Tuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reid's book is critical reading for a history of the Western Front in the First World War. The trope of the aristocratic, barely competent butcher may be so well established that (like the myths of Pius XII as the Nazi Pope or the evil/angelic Richard III) that it actually warps the historical record (inasmuch as any reading of the documents must either confirm or disprove it).

This book establishes to a high degree that the horrendously costly tactics of the Somme, far from being a sign of disregard for life, were the most casualty-reducing available. The attempt to break out of them - at Passchendaele - caused an even higher bodycount, and it was only with the technological and tactical developments in 1918 that the attritional warfare of the previous years could be bypassed.

The book also offers a useful corrective to the view that it was only American involvement which tipped the scales against the Triple Alliance: Reid's thesis on this point is that it was the *fear* of American involvement which prompted the German offensive of 1918 which so spent its strength as to make the British breakthrough possible.

I thoroughly recommend this book to students of the Great War as a corrective to the well-established school of criticism of Allied leadership.

[Roy Szweda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was a marathon of a book, over 500 pages in paperback with just a few familiar photos no maps, diagrams nor tables etc to help the medicine go down. Quite an enigma DH but not sure that for a military man the term "architect" is appropriate but I kind of get the point Mr Reid was making. This book concentrates, like most do, on the Great War years which kind of makes the early years a bit slight and the closing of the story somewhat lightweight I thought, ending with his death and funeral, almost nothing on his legacy really which is a shame because it was only later when the knives really came out.
I feel it was a bit of a slog at times with all the machinations of politicians vs soldiers etc Empire and French. This represented likely the greatest challenge any British soldier has ever had to face while conducting operations with the largest land forces this country has deployed. But it is hard to understand for the likes of me a century on so the book gets a tad stodgy at times. If I feel frustrations like that what must DH have felt?!
I also feel I understand a little more about the man or at least within the context of his actions. However, it did not dispel two things. First how the nation collectively thinks of him and the 100 Days and second who this man really was. Because after all, like him or not, he was a pivotal character in the history of the 20th Century even though his time was brief compared to say, Churchill, he achieved what some might call the impossible. Somehow he kept his nerve, many others did not, kept everyone more or less running in the same direction and pulled the Empire back from the brink in what seemed to be its darkest days.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whilst interesting in some parts this was very dry and very much in need of some editing.

[Shake n' Vac]

A superb account that for once, despite I think being a little pro-Haig, paints an honest picture as the author sees it. The book doesn't just focus on the WWI years as the title may suggest, but is a full-biography in that it addresses Haig's rise through the ranks that is, of course, based first on class but later on ability. The book argues that while Haig was a product of his time (meaning he had that Victorian 'pole up his backside' aloofness), and despite being inarticulate and making mistakes, he was no fool and faced problems both at home (politicians, and the relationship of the allies for example) and organising the largest British Army ever recruited. He argues, convincingly, that despite the persistence in the belief of the incompetence of senior command - and although errors were made - that the BEF, by 1918, was a well-oiled military machine. Haig will always be hotly debated, but now he is so on a fairer basis.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. It's not a hagiography, but gives a much clearer and fairer picture of Douglas Haig than you get based upon a mix of 'Oh What a lovely war' and 'Blackadder'.