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The Kew Gardens Girls: An emotional and sweeping historical novel perfect for fans of Kate Morton
by Posy LovellIt's 1916 and England is at war. Desperate to help in whatever way they can, Ivy and Louisa enlist as gardeners at Kew, taking on the jobs of the men who have gone to fight. Under their care, the Gardens begin to flourish - but Ivy and Louisa aren't being treated fairly, and not everyone wants them there. Without women's rights, the pair begin to struggle - but can the support of the Suffragettes help their cause? And when a tragedy overseas affects the people closest to them, can the women of Kew pull together to support themselves and their country through the darkest of times?A heartwarming historical novel about women in wartime, inspired by real life events. Readers love The Kew Gardens Girls:'This was a wonderful book to read, three girls from different backgrounds work at Kew gardens while the men are away at war.' 5 stars
The Key In The Lock: A haunting historical mystery steeped in explosive secrets and lost love
by Beth Underdown'Haunting, vivid and urgent' Stacey Halls'Absorbing, beautifully written' Rosie Andrews'An ingenious page turner' The Times--------------Inside lies a secret that won't stay hidden . . . The Great War is ending, but it has taken Ivy's son. Ivy is consumed by discovering what happened to her boy out there in the trenches, while her husband only wants to forget.Then a man comes back into Ivy's life who can help her find out. A man who once stole Ivy's heart. A man who also lost his son to a tragedy. A man whose name she hasn't spoken in thirty years.As Ivy questions her part in the fire at Polneath House, she unlocks a secret that's been burning ever since. But will the truth destroy her - or set her free?--------------'It will recruit fans of Du Maurier and Waters' Patrick Gale'A story of smouldering secrets, lingering guilt and hidden love' Daily Express'The perfect gothic novel' Stuart Turton'This is a novel of true elegance, deftly and satisfyingly plotted' Imogen Hermes Gowar'Atmospheric and rich with evocative detail' Harriet Tyce'An intriguing, elegantly constructed gothic mystery' Sunday Times'A smouldering gothic mystery that slowly envelopes you' Joseph Knox
The Key to Nuclear Restraint
by Thomas JonterWhy have some nations acquired nuclear weapons while others have refrained from doing so? Most research related to this question has focused on states that have built nuclear weapons, yet little attention has been devoted to countries that have chosen nuclear restraint. This book analyzes Swedish plans to acquire nuclear weapons during the Cold War. Sweden was very close to putting a bomb together in 1960s but, for a number of reasons illuminated in this book, decision makers abandoned those plans and subsequently rose to become one of the most recognized players in the international game of disarmament. Thanks to the recent declassification of essential documentation in Sweden and United States, it is now possible to assemble a comprehensive analysis of the Swedish nuclear weapons program based on primary sources. This book presents that analysis, a unique perspective owing to the fact that nuclear development is a highly secretive activity in most countries - with non-existent or limited access to state archives.
The Key to Zion (The Zion Chronicles, Book #5)
by Bodie Thoene Brock ThoeneBack Cover: Rabbi Lebowitz has waited a lifetime for this moment. No Jew has held the key to the Gate of Zion since AD 70. Yet on May 14, 1948, the day of Israel's statehood, the British will turn that key--the symbol of his hope for the nation--over to him. But before the British evacuate, full scale fighting breaks out. Five Middle Eastern nations gather around Palestine to divide it among themselves. Caught in the middle, the native Palestinians flee. Is there any hope for peace? for stopping the bloodshed?
The Keys of Hell
by Jack HigginsBritish expatriate Paul Chavasse is about as tough as they come. For years, he has made a dangerous living running men and intelligence across the Adriatic Sea from Italy to the communist country of Albania. But his ideals are about to be tested - more than he ever thought possible. The Albanian government, seeking to crush a religious resurgence within its borders, wants to find and destroy the Madonna of Scutari - a legendary statue of ebony and gold that has protected the faithful for a thousand years. Before government forces capture them, priests hide the carving deep in the marshes along the coast. Now, Paul Chavasse must outrun an entire army in a race to save the priceless relic - and the lives of thousands of believers.
The Khyber Rifles: From the British Raj to Al Qaeda
by Jules StewartRecruited from the Pathan tribes that live in the no-mans land between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Khyber Rifles fought for the British Raj against their own kith and kin.Jules Stewart tells the story of Colonel Sir Robert Warburton, the man who raised the Khyber Rifles in 1878, and describes the Khyber Rifles in action.
The Kill Box (A Tyce Asher Novel #2)
by H. Ripley Rawlings IVThe United States has been invaded. The Russians have seized control. Now US Marine hero Tyce Asher has one final mission—to make America free again—in this explosive series from Lt. Col. Hunter &“Rip&” Ripley Rawlings IV . . . THE CITIES HAVE FALLEN. America is under new management. Russian forces have occupied both coasts. They are taking our weapons, pillaging our resources, and destroying our nation. Those who resist are swiftly punished. Those who revolt are savagely killed . . . THE HEARTLAND FIGHTS BACK. Marine Corp officer Tyce Asher is a lone wolf patriot who will never surrender. He&’s assembled a ragtag team of long-haul truckers and citizen soldiers willing to die for their freedoms. Their network has learned that the invaders are planning to seize cargo that will bring America to its knees—and a sadistic Russian has marked Asher for death. There is only one way to stop them: Asher and his team must meet the enemy face-to-face—and enter the Kill Box . . . RAVES FOR ASSAULT BY FIRE &“Exploding with action, Lt. Col. Rip Rawlings&’s rapid-fire thriller, Assault by Fire, is a must read!&” —Mark Greaney, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Minute Out &“Direct from his own combat experiences, Marine Lt. Col. Rip Rawlings brings the heat and fire to life." —Marc Cameron, New York Times bestselling author &“Combat vet Rip Rawlings is a bang-up storyteller.&” —Capt. Dale Dye USMC (Ret.), author and filmmaker &“Rip Rawlings writes from experience, and blasts the reader straight into the fight and never lets up.&” —New York Times bestselling author Larry Bond
The Kill Box: A Jamie Sinclair Novel (Jamie Sinclair #3)
by Nichole ChristoffNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY LIBRARY JOURNAL * In an intense thriller that's perfect for fans of Lee Child or Lisa Gardner, security specialist and PI Jamie Sinclair tackles a cold case that could cost her the one person who means the most to her. Hardworking Jamie Sinclair can't wait for the weekend. She plans to be off the clock and on the road to wine country with handsome military police officer Adam Barrett. But when a strung-out soldier takes an innocent woman hostage and forces his way into Jamie's bedroom, everything changes. Jamie's never seen the soldier before. But he's no stranger to Barrett--and with one word he persuades Barrett to pack a duffel and leave Jamie in the lurch. Jamie cannot fathom why Barrett would abandon her without explanation. But as the consequences of an unsolved crime threaten to catch up with him, a late-night phone call sends Jamie racing to Barrett's hometown in upstate New York. In a tinderbox of shattered trust and long-buried secrets, Jamie must fight to uncover the truth about what really occurred one terrible night twenty years ago. And the secrets she discovers deep in Barrett's past not only threaten their future together--they just might get her killed.Praise for The Kill Box "An edge-of-the-seat thriller that doesn't let up until the very last page."--Library Journal Praise for Nichole Christoff's Jamie Sinclair novels "Intelligent and fast-paced, Nichole Christoff's debut thriller takes off like a rocket and never slows down. I read The Kill List in a single sitting."--New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose "Thanks to Christoff's labyrinth-style of intrigue and mystery, the enjoyment is in trying to solve the puzzle. Good luck, because in The Kill Shot, Christoff doesn't make the adventure a cake walk. She understands how to keep her readers riveted from beginning to end."--USA Today
The Kill Chain: A Jamie Sinclair Novel (Jamie Sinclair #6)
by Nichole ChristoffSecurity specialist and PI Jamie Sinclair shoots for the stars in this breakneck thriller. Her enemies shoot to kill. “[Nichole Christoff] understands how to keep her readers riveted from beginning to end.”—USA Today In Jamie Sinclair’s line of work, there’s no such thing as too careful. Not when clients like Madeline Donahue come knocking on her door. Madeline claims a disgruntled robotics engineer is blackmailing her boss—an eccentric tech billionaire—and holding the computer systems of their satellite and space payload company hostage. With U.S. government secrets at stake, Madeline wants Jamie to protect her as she pays the ransom. But is it really ransom? Or personal payback? The late-night dead drop starts off badly, and gets worse quickly when Jamie is framed for murder and more. Now, with the U.S. government trying to bring her down—and a team of hired guns aiming to take her out—Jamie is on the run, fighting to force a deadly conspiracy from the shadows. She’ll have to move fast to get that target off her back—and to keep those she loves from becoming the weakest link in a powerful enemy’s kill chain. Don’t miss any of Nichole Christoff’s white-knuckle Jamie Sinclair thrillers: THE KILL LIST | THE KILL SHOT | THE KILL BOX | THE KILL SIGN | THE KILL WIRE | THE KILL CHAIN
The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare
by Christian BroseFor generations of Americans, our country has been the world's dominant military power. How the US military fights, and the systems and weapons that it fights with, have been uncontested. That old reality, however, is rapidly deteriorating. America's traditional sources of power are eroding amid the emergence of new technologies and the growing military threat posed by rivals such as China. America is at grave risk of losing a future war.As Christian Brose reveals in this urgent wake-up call, the future will be defined by artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and other emerging technologies that are revolutionizing global industries and are now poised to overturn the model of American defense. This fascinating, if disturbing, book confronts the existential risks on the horizon, charting a way for America's military to adapt and succeed with new thinking as well as new technology. America must build a battle network of systems that enables people to rapidly understand threats, make decisions, and take military actions, the process known as "the kill chain." Examining threats from China, Russia, and elsewhere, The Kill Chain offers hope and, ultimately, insights on how America can apply advanced technologies to prevent war, deter aggression, and maintain peace.
The Kill Shot: A Jamie Sinclair Novel (Jamie Sinclair #2)
by Nichole ChristoffIn an explosive thriller for readers of Lee Child, Alex Berenson, and Brad Taylor, P.I. and security specialist Jamie Sinclair finds herself caught in a dangerous game of international cat-and-mouse. Jamie Sinclair's father has never asked her for a favor in her life. The former two-star general turned senator is more in the habit of giving his only child orders. So when he requests Jamie's expertise as a security specialist, she can't refuse--even though it means slamming the brakes on her burgeoning relationship with military police officer Adam Barrett. Just like that, Jamie hops aboard a flight to London with a U.S. State Department courier carrying a diplomatic pouch in an iron grip. Jamie doesn't have to wait long to put her unique skills to good use. When she and the courier are jumped by goons outside the Heathrow terminal, Jamie fights them off--but the incident puts her on high alert. Someone's willing to kill for the contents of the bag. Then a would-be assassin opens fire in crowded Covent Garden, and Jamie is stunned to spot a familiar face: Adam Barrett, who saves her life with a single shot and calmly slips away. Jamie's head--and her heart--tell her that something is very wrong. But she's come way too far to turn back now.Praise for The Kill Shot "The adventure begins without delay and with tight writing to keep up the momentum. . . . Thanks to Christoff's labyrinth-style of intrigue and mystery, the enjoyment is in trying to solve the puzzle. Good luck, because in The Kill Shot, Christoff doesn't make the adventure a cake walk. She understands how to keep her readers riveted from beginning to end."--USA Today
The Kill Sign: A Jamie Sinclair Novel (Jamie Sinclair #4)
by Nichole ChristoffSecurity specialist and PI Jamie Sinclair finds herself in deadly waters off the steamy Gulf Coast in this combustible thriller from the award-winning author of The Kill Box. Never in her life has Jamie Sinclair anticipated a weekend getaway more. After four months apart, she's flying to Mississippi to see her would-be boyfriend, military police officer Adam Barrett. Barrett's currently stationed in the same Gulf Coast town where Jamie got her start as a private investigator, and she's equally excited to reconnect with her old mentor, Ray Walther, and his pregnant wife, Corinne, who's Jamie's best friend. But all hopes for a relaxing and romantic weekend are shattered when a dirty bomb explodes on a riverboat packed with military, killing dozens of soldiers. In the chaotic aftermath, Jamie believes that she spots the bomber--and recognizes him from her past. As Barrett and Jamie race to catch the terrorist before he strikes again, Ray and Corinne become targets themselves. And this time around, Jamie won't let a little thing like the law keep her from protecting the people she loves most--no matter the cost. Don't miss any of Nichole Christoff's white-knuckle Jamie Sinclair thrillers: THE KILL LIST | THE KILL SHOT | THE KILL BOX | THE KILL SIGN "Intelligent and fast-paced, Nichole Christoff's debut thriller takes off like a rocket and never slows down."--New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose, on The Kill List "Christoff doesn't make the adventure a cake walk. She understands how to keep her readers riveted from beginning to end."--USA Today, on The Kill Shot "An edge-of-the-seat thriller that doesn't let up until the very last page."--Library Journal, on The Kill Box
The Kill Wire: A Jamie Sinclair Novel (Jamie Sinclair #5)
by Nichole ChristoffSecurity specialist and PI Jamie Sinclair crosses interstate boundaries—and personal ones too—in this electrifying thriller from an award-winning author who “understands how to keep her readers riveted from beginning to end” (USA Today). With a long list of high-profile, high-paying clients, Jamie Sinclair has her hands full—and that’s the way she likes it. Still reeling from the brutal investigation that drove a wedge between her and her boyfriend, military police officer Adam Barrett, Jamie is counting on hard work to help her forget her recent history—but then DEA agent Marc Sandoval barges back into her life. The last time they worked together, Jamie almost crossed all kinds of lines. Now Marc doesn’t just want Jamie, he needs her . . . because she’s the only one who can help him—and the little boy he never told her about. Marc’s ex has vanished, leaving their six-year-old son in his care. Despite a troubled past, Elena never wavered in her duties as a parent, so something must be very wrong now. Teaming with Marc to track Elena through her home state of Colorado and beyond, Jamie finds herself on a cross-country search for the missing mother of Marc’s child, at a crossroads with Adam, and on a collision course with the killers who’ll stop at nothing to find Elena first. Don’t miss any of Nichole Christoff’s white-knuckle Jamie Sinclair thrillers: THE KILL LIST | THE KILL SHOT | THE KILL BOX | THE KILL SIGN | THE KILL WIRE “Intelligent and fast-paced, Nichole Christoff’s debut thriller takes off like a rocket and never slows down.”—New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose, on The Kill List “Christoff doesn’t make the adventure a cake walk. She understands how to keep her readers riveted from beginning to end.”—USA Today, on The Kill Shot “An edge-of-the-seat thriller that doesn’t let up until the very last page.”—Library Journal, on The Kill Box
The Kill Zone (Kirk McGarvey Series #9)
by David HagbergCapping a twenty-five year career with the Central Intelligence Agency, Kirk McGarvey has been named the agencys interim director by the President of the United States.But what should be the culmination of McGarveys career has activated a twenty-year-old Russian plot. The Cold War is over, but McGarvey is still a target for assassination.Step by inexorable step the assassin is awakened from a sleeper state. Brainwashed by KGB doctors to pull the trigger, the killer has unknowingly awaited a signal that has finally arrived.Its becoming clear to McGarvey and his associates that the killer is someone within his inner circle.A personal friend.Someone very close.Whom can McGarvey trust? Can he even trust himself?
The Kill Zone: A blood pumping thriller
by Chris Ryan Rupert DegasThe guys in the Regiment know they face their fiercest enemies when they fight the Taliban. No-one is tougher, more deadly - or more cunning. And if they enter the Taliban's kill zone, they know just what to expect...When three deadly Stinger missiles go missing in Helmand Province, the Regiment is tasked to retrieve the weapons at all costs. SAS legend Jack Harker has a mission to lead an eight-man team into a suspected Taliban facility. He's suspicious about what the aims of the mission really are - and it's about to get noisy.Meanwhile, in Belfast, Siobhan Byrne, a highly trained surveillance operative, is infiltrating the drug crew of a former IRA commander. But are her motives professional or personal? Even she doesn't know any more.Neither Jack nor Siobhan can guess just how closely linked their operations are about to become, or just what's at stake. But as the President of the United States makes plans to visit the UK, a devastating plot unfolds.(P)2010 Hodder & Stoughton
The Kill Zone: A blood pumping thriller
by Chris RyanFrom the author of the bestselling Danny Black series and the hit TV show Strikeback.The guys in the Regiment know they face their fiercest enemies when they fight the Taliban. No-one is tougher, more deadly - or more cunning. And if they enter the Taliban's kill zone, they know just what to expect...When three deadly Stinger missiles go missing in Helmand Province, the Regiment is tasked to retrieve the weapons at all costs. SAS legend Jack Harker has a mission to lead an eight-man team into a suspected Taliban facility. He's suspicious about what the aims of the mission really are - and it's about to get noisy.Meanwhile, in Belfast, Siobhan Byrne, a highly trained surveillance operative, is infiltrating the drug crew of a former IRA commander. But are her motives professional or personal? Even she doesn't know any more.Neither Jack nor Siobhan can guess just how closely linked their operations are about to become, or just what's at stake. But as the President of the United States makes plans to visit the UK, a devastating plot unfolds.
The Kill Zone: A blood pumping thriller
by Chris RyanThe guys in the Regiment know they face their fiercest enemies when they fight the Taliban. No-one is tougher, more deadly - or more cunning. And if they enter the Taliban's kill zone, they know just what to expect...When three deadly Stinger missiles go missing in Helmand Province, the Regiment is tasked to retrieve the weapons at all costs. SAS legend Jack Harker has to lead an eight-man mission into a suspected Taliban facility. He's suspicious about what the aims of the mission really are - and it's about to go noisy.Meanwhile, in Belfast, Siobhan Byrne, a highly trained surveillance operative, is infiltrating the drug crew of a former IRA commander. But are her motives professional or personal? Even she doesn't know any more.Neither Jack nor Siobhan can guess just how closely linked their operations are about to become, or just what's at stake. But as the President of the United States makes plans to visit the UK, a devastating plot unfolds.
The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War (Civil War Trilogy #2)
by Michael ShaaraPULITZER PRIZE WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The &“remarkable&” (Ken Burns), &“utterly absorbing&” (Forbes) Civil War classic that inspired the film Gettysburg, with more than three million copies in print—now in a 50th anniversary edition featuring a new introduction by Jeff Shaara&“My favorite historical novel . . . a superb re-creation of the Battle of Gettysburg, but its real importance is its insight into what the war was about, and what it meant.&”—James M. McPherson In the four most bloody and courageous days of our nation&’s history, two armies fought for two conflicting dreams. One dreamed of freedom, the other of a way of life. Far more than rifles and bullets were carried into battle. There were memories. There were promises. There was love. And far more than men fell on those Pennsylvania fields. Bright futures, untested innocence, and pristine beauty were also the casualties of war. Michael Shaara&’s Pulitzer Prize–winning masterpiece is unique, sweeping, unforgettable—the dramatic story of the battleground for America&’s destiny.
The Killer Strain: Anthrax and a Government Exposed
by Marilyn W. ThompsonA lethal germ is unleashed in the U.S. mail. A chain of letters spreads terror from Florida to Washington, D.C., from New York to Connecticut, from the halls of Congress to the assembly lines of the U.S. Postal Service. Five people die, and ten thousand more line up for antibiotics to protect against exposure. The government, already outsmarted by the terrorist hijackers of 9/11, leaves its workers vulnerable and a diabolical killer on the loose.Based on hundreds of hours of interviews and a review of thousands of pages of government documents, The Killer Strain is the definitive account of the year in which bioterrorism became a reality in the United States. Revealing the little-known victims and unsung heroes in the anthrax debacle, investigative reporter Marilyn Thompson also examines the FBI's slow-paced investigation of the crimes and the unprecedented scientific challenges posed by the case.The Killer Strain, more than just a thrilling read, is also a clarion wake-up call. It shows how billions of dollars and a decade of elaborate bioterror dress rehearsals meant nothing in the face of a real attack -- and how we may still be at risk.
The Killer Thing
by Kate Wilhelm[from the back cover] "PROGRAMMED FOR DESTRUCTION In a way, they were the same, the man and the machine. Both had been ordered to do one thing--kill. The robot had been created to wreak revenge on the humans who had brutally conquered its planet. The man was the product of years of training by an Earth that had set out to take over the Universe. Now the two faced each other in the icy reaches of the galaxy. The robot, with its calculating machine of a brain, its impenetrable force shield, its deadly laser beam. The man, with the kind of nerve that refused to admit the Odds against survival..."
The Killing Fields of Provence: Occupation, Resistance and Liberation in the South of France
by James BourhillA history of the German occupation of France during World War II, the French resistance, and ultimately the nation’s liberation.In the south of France, the most memorable event of World War II was the sea and airborne invasion of August 15, 1944. Perhaps because it went relatively smoothly, this “Second D-Day” was soon relegated to the back pages of history. Operation Dragoon and the liberation are, however, only a small part of the story. The arrival of the Allies was preceded by years of suffering and sacrifice under Hitléro-Vichyssois oppression.Provençale people still struggle to come to terms with the painful past of split-allegiances and empty stomachs that epitomize les années noirs (the dark years). Deportations, requisitions, forced labor, and hunger provoked resistance by a courageous minority. Many actively colluded with the enemy, but most just waited for better days. By sea and air, Allied agents and special forces were infiltrated to fan the flames, but wherever the Resistance arose prematurely, the reprisals from the Nazis and their auxiliaries were ferocious.In every corner of Provence, one can find words chipped into stone: Passant, souviens-toi (passer-by, remember). It is hard to imagine such cruelty could have existed here less than one generation ago. These memories here tell a story of duplicity, defiance, and ultimately, deliverance. Whether the stuff of legends, or the experiences of everyday humans, humanity is used to explain the Franco-American experience of wartime Provence, as seen through an Anglo-Saxon prism.“A complete and well-researched study of the French Resistance groups, Allied agents and Special Forces operating against the Germans in the South of France.” —Firetrench
The Killing Fields of Scotland: AD 83 to 1746
by R.J.M PughMost people are familiar with references to Scottish battles such as Bannockburn and Flodden but know little if anything about those events. Rugby and soccer fans outside Scotland may wonder at the sign 1314 held up by Scottish fans and not know that it is the date of the Battle of Bannockburn when an English king was defeated on Scottish soil. The battle is also commemorated in Scotlands unofficial national anthem, The Flower of Scotland. Battles fought on Scottish soil include those of the Scottish Wars of Independence, those occasioned by the English Civil Wars and the Jacobite Rebellions. This book tells the stories of these battles and many others fought in Scotland from the Roman victory at Mons Graupius in AD 83 to the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie at Culloden Moor in 1746.
The Killing Game: A Thousand Years of Warfare in Twenty Battles
by Anthony Tucker-JonesThe second millennium of mankind has been characterized by almost incessant warfare somewhere on the face of the globe. This book serves as a snapshot of the development of warfare over the past 1,000 years, illustrating the bravery and suffering mankind has inflicted upon itself in developing what we call the "Art of War." Here military historian Anthony Tucker-Jones selects 20 battles that illustrate the changing face of warfare over the past thousand years—from the Viking shield wall to long bows and knights, the emergence of gunpowder, and finally the long-range faceless warfare of today. International in scope, it covers such well-known battles as Crecy (1346), Magdeburg (1631), Falkirk (1746), Isandlwana (1879), the Blitz (1940), Bekaa Valley (1982), Tora Bora (2001), and more.
The Killing God (The Great God's War #3)
by Stephen R. DonaldsonTwo kingdoms, ancient enemies, must stand alone against an implacable invader in the masterful conclusion of the Great God&’s War epic from the New York Times bestselling author of the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.They are coming.The kingdoms of Belleger and Amika had been fighting for generations. But then they learned of a terrible threat moving through them to destroy the Last Repository, an immense hidden library. To face this greater enemy, King Bifalt of Belleger and Queen Estie of Amika allied their lands and prepared for war.They are at the door.Now the time of preparation is over. Black ships and sorcery test the cannon that defend the Bay of Lights. Treachery and betrayal threaten the kingdoms. The priests of the Great God Rile sow dissent. And Estie rides for the Last Repository, desperate to enlist the help of their Magisters—and to understand the nature of her own magical gift.They are here.Bifalt hates sorcery as much as he loves Estie, and the discovery that she could become a Magister shatters him. But he must rally and fight. Belleger and Amika are all that stand between the Great God&’s forces and his ultimate goal: the destruction of the Last Repository and its treasure of knowledge.
The Killing Ground: The British Army, The Western Front & The Emergence of Modern War 1900–1918
by Tim TraversA study of how the British Army fought on the Western Front during World War I.This books explains why the British Army fought the way it did in the First World War. It integrates social and military history and the impact of ideas to tell the story of how the army, especially the senior officers, adapted to the new technological warfare and asks: Was the style of warfare on the Western Front inevitable?Using an extensive range of unpublished diaries, letters, memoirs and Cabinet and War Office files, Professor Travers explains how and why the ideas, tactics and strategies emerged. He emphasises the influence of pre-war social and military attitudes, and examines the early life and career of Sir Douglas Haig. The author’s analysis of the preparations for the Battles of the Somme and Passchendaele provide new interpretations of the role of Haig and his GHQ, and he explains the reasons for the unexpected British withdrawal in March 1918. An appendix supplies short biographies of senior British officers. In general, historians of the First World War are in two hostile camps: those who see the futility of lions led by donkeys on the one hand and on the other the apologists for Haig and the conduct of the war. Professor Travers’ immensely readable book provides a bridge between the two.