Description

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A compelling history of the decline of an army from the triumph of victory in 1918 to defeat in 1940 and why this happened. A salutary warning for modern Britain.

'Both [authors] are former soldiers, Dannatt having ended his career as chief of the general staff; and they bring their military perspective to their account of this vitally important period. As such their work is highly useful...an interesting and well-researched study of a crucial episode.' Simon Heffer, The Sunday Telegraph

The British Army won a convincing series of victories between 1916 and 1918. But by 1939 the British Army was an entirely different animal. The hard-won knowledge, experience and strategic vision that delivered victory after victory in the closing stages of the First World War had been lost. In the inter-war years there was plenty of talking, but very little focus on who Britain might have to fight, and how. Victory to Defeat clearly illustrates how the British Army wasn't prepared to fight a first-class European Army in 1939 for the simple reason that as a country Britain hadn't prepared itself to do so. The failure of the army's leadership led directly to its abysmal performance in Norway and France in 1940.

Victory to Defeat is a captivating history of the mismanagement of a war-winning army. It is also a stark warning that we neglect to understand who our enemy might be, and how to defeat him, at the peril of our country. The British Army is now to be cut to its smallest size since 1714. Are we, this book asks, repeating the same mistakes again?

About the Author

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General The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL is one of the UK's most respected military commentators, frequently appearing on television and radio and in newsprint, most recently on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its implications for the West.
As Chief of the General Staff he was given overall command of the British Army at a time when fighting was fiercest in Afghanistan. From his first day in the job, he proved himself a courageous leader and a forceful advocate for his men, never shying from controversy to tell the truth as he found it.
More than any military leader of recent times, Richard Dannatt used his position to get a better deal for the British soldier – the right equipment, the right conditions, the right reward – to do the job the country asks of them. His leadership and example were critical in shaping the debate about the role of the professional army in modern warfare. He entered the House of Lords as a Crossbencher in 2011.
His autobiography, Leading From The Front (Bantam Press, 2010) and subsequent Boots On The Ground: Britain and her Army since 1945 (Profile, 2017) were published to strong reviews and sales. Both books made prescient arguments for Britain to retain a coherent land army, capable of deploying to meet high intensity challenges to the country's interests.
He lives in in Norfolk.

Robert Lyman is regarded as one of Britain's most talented military historians, with over 20 best-selling works of history published and numerous television appearances including on the BBC's 'Who Do You Think You Are?' and on two episodes of the 'Great Escapes' documentary series, on Tobruk (1941) and Kohima (1944). He spent 20 years in the British Army and is an elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. A frequent traveller to the US, Asia and Australasia, he lives in England.

Praise For…

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“The most important book on military history I've read in 5-years. If I could buy a copy for every member of Parliament, I would.” —Justin Maciejewski DSO MBE, Director of the National Army Museum

“Both [authors] are former soldiers, Dannatt having ended his career as chief of the general staff; and they bring their military perspective to their account of this vitally important period. As such their work is highly useful...an interesting and well-researched study of a crucial episode.” —Simon Heffer, The Sunday Telegraph

“The meat of this book looks at the squandering of the very lessons that delivered victory.” —The Critic

“[A] thought provoking book… Robert Lyman is one of the surest, most astute and diligent of military historians writing today.” —Allan Mallinson, The Spectator

“Powerful and well-researched, Victory to Defeat is a superb example of how history can explain the present and inform the future. Highly recommended.” —Lloyd Clark, author of 'The Commanders'

“An unflinching account of how the British Army threw away the hard-earned lessons of the Western Front, only to face defeat and ruin in France in 1940, which sends out a powerful message for our time: we must think deeply about war and warfighting, and support our fighting men and women with all that they need, if we are not to risk another seismic failure on the battlefield. An essential and urgent book.” —Professor Nick Lloyd FRHistS, author of 'The Western Front'

“Their analysis is succinct, scholarly, convincing, and, with the largest war since 1945 raging in Europe today, timely. It covers strategy, tactics, resources and capabilities, as one would expect, but also ranges far outside military explanations for the debacle, and will be the standard work on the subject for many years to come.” —Andrew Roberts, author of 'Churchill: Walking with Destiny'

“What makes “Victory to Defeat” particularly worth reading is its relevance today…. The book shows what happens when a military neglects its core function – defense of a nation and the ability to project power against peer rivals. The book is a cautionary tale about the results of making secondary goals, such as today's pursuit of equity and climate change by the US Military, its main focus.” —Ricochet

“A captivating must-read history of the mismanagement of the war-winning British army.” —ARGunners

“The book gives ample evidence of missed opportunities, proof of siloed and sidelined expertise, and the certainty that another large war wouldn't happen again in Europe.” —Library Journal

“Dannatt and Lyman tell an engaging history of the British army, 1918 to 1940, that offers many lessons in “the failure of both political and military leadership and disfunctionality between the two.” The prose is straightforward and engaging, with facts and not sermons.” —New York Journal of Books