Douglas Haig and the First World War (Cambridge Military Histories) [Hardcover]

J. P. Harris (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521898021 | ISBN-13: 978-0521898027 | Publication Date: December 15, 2008 | Edition: 1

Major new biography of one of the most controversial commanders in British military history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Paul Harris has not only written the definitive biography of Field Marshal Douglas Haig, but the most important book on the First World War to appear in over a decade. His judicious use of sources and impeccable research has placed Haig in the context of the terrible challenges that that terrible conflict raised. The resulting portrait presents his considerable strengths along with the fatal flaws that were to prove so disastrous in terms of the lives of British soldiers in the battles of 1916 and 1917. Above all Harris' biography underlines that it is individuals who make history, not obscure social trends."
-Williamson Murray, Institute for Defense Analysis

"This is a superb book. Deftly sidestepping caricatures of Haig as either a callous, incompetent butcher or as a clear-sighted, imperturbable Great Captain, Harris offers a nuanced picture of a complex personality in hopeless times. Haig was not purblind, but open to technical and tactical innovation. Yet he was responsible for the massive casualties so disproportionate to the results achieved and for the near collapse of British civil-military relations by the end of 1917. He went from the nervous, battle-shy corps commander of Mons 1914 to the confident 'tyde-what-may' army commander of 1915-17, and to the shaken and confused soldier-statesman of 1918. Bold and masterful, this book will become the standard biography of Haig."
-Holger H. Herwig, Professor of History and Canada Research Chair in the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, University of Calgary

"Ninety years after the end of the Great War and eighty years after his death, Haig still has the capacity to arouse extraordinary extremes of vilification from his detractors and praise from his defenders. There have been many biographies of Haig over the years, but few have matched Paul Harris's mastery of both the original archive sources and also the most recent scholarship, which has so transformed our understanding of the nature of command and the conduct of operations on the Western Front. Here, then, is an informed and thoroughly modern re-assessment, balancing Haig's undoubted qualities against his manifold weaknesses."
-Professor Ian F. W. Beckett, University of Northampton

"Paul Harris is one of our very finest military historians of the Great War. He combines great depth of scholarship, research - and especially of psychological perception - with a highly readable style. In this, his highest masterpiece to date, he has cut straight through a horribly tangled thornbush of pro-Haig hagiography inter-twined with anti-Haig propaganda of the 'Butchers and Bunglers' variety. His ultimate conclusion is that the anti-Haig camp has very much the right of it, although much of the hysteria attaching to this issue has been lamentably over-done. This, surely, has got to be the long verdict of History."
-Paddy Griffith, author of Battle Tactics on the Western Front 1916-18 (1994)

"This work of meticulous scholarship is certain to reenergize the debate over Haig's command. It also in many important ways expands our understanding of military operations in France and Flanders and the BEF's evolution into a formidable offensive machine. It is highly recommended to both academics and general readers." - American Historical Review

"This is a most impressive book... Douglas Haig and the First World War is unreservedly recommended for all students, from the first year to doctoral candidates, and it should be in all university libraries." - Antoine Capet, H-Diplo

"Harris himself deserves unqualified praise for producing a thoroughly researched biography of a controversial figure and for resting his judgments on a careful analysis of his material. This work is a model of dispassionate scholarship and is essential to any student of the British Army in the First World War."
Canadian Journal of History, Mitchell McNaylor

"This work will likely remain the definitive account for decades to come." -Parameters

"a formidable achievement... Not the least of Harris's strengths is his impressive grasp of the literature, and his synthesis of recent research (of which there is a great deal, such is the dynamic nature of the subject) is extremely valuable. Not surprisingly it has been acclaimed by a battery of historians, and has been awarded, at the time of writing, two major prizes". - English Historical Review, Gary Sheffield

Book Description

A new biography of Sir Douglas Haig, one of the most controversial commanders in British military history. Paul Harris decisively answers the contested issue of whether Haig's tactics cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of British soldiers during the First World War or were essential to the Allied victory.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 664 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (December 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521898021
• ISBN-13: 978-0521898027
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,033,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book on WW1, January 17, 2010

By 

Tom Munro "tomfrombrunswick" (Melbourne, Victoria Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Douglas Haig and the First World War (Cambridge Military Histories) (Hardcover)

Although the First World War was a long time ago there is still a debate about the nature of what happened. The war on the Western Front was very much like siege warfare after initial operations. Both sides set up complex trench lines sheltered by barb wire. Most operations achieved limited gains with very high casualties. It was not until the Second World War that techniques were developed of breaking through heavily fortified positions and then maintaining a war of movement. Most of the Generals especially the allied ones were criticized at the time and subsequently for fighting battles which led to long casualty lists with no visible gain.

General Douglas Haig especially has been one general who has come in for considerable criticism. It must be said of course however that Haig continued to command the British and the forces raised for the Western Front constituted the largest British Army to be put in the field. The British were responsible for the continued attacks on the German's and their eventual defeat. Thus not only does Haig have his detractors but also some see him as a mighty commander of men.

This book is the latest in a long line of books to look at his performance. It is by far the fairest and also the most balanced. Another virtue of the book is it explains the problems both sides faced in the way and how tactics over time were changed and refined. It is a wonderful introduction to the war and why so many of the offensive actions failed.

The problem faced by an army planning offensive action was that the other side was entrenched behind barb wire. The entrenched side had machine guns and rifles. If only a small proportion of the defending forces survived the initial barrage they could inflict serious damage on any attacking force. The problem was made more difficult by the fact that the defensive entrenchments did not consist of a single line. Rather each defensive position would consist of multiple trench lines.

For an attack to succeed supporting artillery would have to destroy all the defensive barbed wire. It would then have to either kill the defenders or suppress them. After taking the first line the artillery barrage would then have to move onto the second line. It was normal for the defensive side to hold troops behind the front line outside of artillery range and then use them to counter attack if gains were made.

In 1915 and 1916 most commanders were using weapon systems that were new. They had to make a series of calculations in a type of warfare that was new to them. They had to work out a range of answers to new questions. How many guns were needed in a given area of a front. How many shells should be fired and how long should a barrage go for? Should the aim of a barrage be elimination of the enemy or suppression of the enemy? How could guns be moved into position to attack the next line of the defensive positions?

In assessing the command ability of Haig one also has to look at the operational responsibility for what was done. When Haig was overall commander his role was to provide troops and munitions to a front to make decisions about the area of an attack and the objectives. However a lot of the critical decisions were made by commanders lower down the hierarchy. They made decisions about the specific targets of barrages and the nature of attacks.

What the book shows is that Haig had some virtues. He was strong willed and was determined to win. In terms of the actual decisions he made he was something of a plodder. Not a total incompetent but not a military genius. Some of his decisions appear to be not well thought out at all such as the area for the 1917 offensive in Belgium. Other decisions around the objectives of particular offensives and the time lines of attack were usually on balance not helpful.

Yet the overall reality is that the carnage of the war was not the result of stupidity at the top as more the difficulty of dealing with radically changed conditions of war brought about by very destructive new weapons. The Germans usually seen as tactically more astute also had some howlers. Their counter attacks at the battle of the Somme were unsupported by artillery and led to huge losses as they were so poorly coordinated.

This however is a very good book. It is well written and it explains the history of the time better than anyone else has done.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good, January 4, 2010

By 

Michael Robinson (Hendricks, MN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Douglas Haig and the First World War (Cambridge Military Histories) (Hardcover)

This is easily the best review of Douglas Haig that I have read. The author has tried to be objective but in the end he has some pretty damning conclusions about him, both as a person and a general. I had always felt that Douglas Haig had been let off rather lightly by history, but I may have been looking at the man purely from too narrow a viewpoint. Haig was quick to embrace new technology (because he thought it would give him the quick victory he so wanted) but in many ways, he was a feeble individual, lacking many of the leadership qualities one would have wished for.

At the conclusion of this work, I had the feeling that but for the fact that Haig looked the part of a British Officer and had Royal support he would have disappeared from history much sooner, without inflicting The Somme and Third Ypres on his own troops.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AWARD WINNER, February 11, 2010

By 

R. Berlin "Executive Director, Society for Mi... (Prescott, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Douglas Haig and the First World War (Cambridge Military Histories) (Paperback)

DOUGLAS HAIG AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR is the Society for Military History 2010 Book Award Winner for Biography/Memoir.