The Old Contemptibles (Elite) [Paperback]

Michael Barthorp (Author), Pierre Turner (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Elite | Publication Date: May 25, 1989

Osprey's study of British forces from the time of the Second Boer War (1899-1902) up to World War I (1914-1918). On 19 August 1914 Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered General von Kluck, commanding the German First Army, to 'exterminate the treacherous English and walk over General French's contemptible little Army'. The 'Old Contemptibles' adopted the aspersion like a treasured regimental title, their subsequent successes earning them a more accurate evaluation as 'the best trained, best organised and best equipped British Army that ever went forth to war'. This book examines the history, organization and uniforms of the British Expeditionary Force of the early 20th century. The text is accompanied by numerous illustrations, including maps, photographs, and colour plates.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

An unrivalled illustrated reference source on fighting men and commanders, past and present. Each volume is packed with full colour artwork, making military history uniquely accessible to enthusiasts of all ages.

About the Author

Michael Barthorp was educated at Wellington College and was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1946. Demobilized in 1948, he served as a Territorial with the Royal Hampshire Regiment before rejoining the Regular Army in the Northamptonshire Regiment to continue a family tradition, ending his career with the Royal Anglian Regiment in 1968. He has since published numerous books on the history and costume of the British Army, including nine titles for the Men-at-Arms series. He lives in Jersey, Channel Islands.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (May 25, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0850458986
• ISBN-13: 978-0850458985
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #944,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Even for Osprey, Very Weak, August 28, 2002

By 

Highlander (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Old Contemptibles (Elite) (Paperback)

Osprey books are, by their very nature, a compromise between the wide scope of their subjects and the detail they attempt to bring to uniforms and appearance of their subjects. They often serve as a very good introduction to a military subject and provide insight otherwise unavailable to an interested reader. Readers who know Osprey understand and accept this compromise -- especially in a 64-page volume.

"The Old Contemptibles" (TOC), however, accomplishes neither a broad overview nor pointed detail. It addresses the British Expeditionary Force (BEF)of 1914 and it precedent years beginning in 1902. Its scope is so broad that it only mentions the highlights of the 1902 Army and it reforms, the overseas Army, the home based reserves, and the planning for and creation of the BEF.

The BEF's actions in France and Belgium are essentially addressed in a one-line chronological list of actions. Several examples of brigade level actions follow, but they are placed in almost no context. The BEF Order of Battle is not mentioned and there is no feeling of the committment and grinding destruction of what may have been Britian's finest fighting force. The author often mentions the quality of the BEF and does provide some background in the genisis of that quality, but its base in the regimental system in scarcely addressed.

The uniform plates are adequate. Again, they cover 12 years of evolution and the entire globe in geography and barely scratch the surface. Once more, context is nearly absent.

I conclude that the scope of the volume was simply too wide for the standard Osprey approach. The subject would have been much better served as two or even three volumes. With the exception of the color plates and several excellent B&W photographs, I cannot recommend TOC as an introduction to the BEF. The text certainly does not meet any reasonable standard.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for modelers, brief for historians, May 25, 2000

By 

Federico Kereki (Miami, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Old Contemptibles (Elite) (Paperback)

From the point of view of a modeler, this book is a great source on all details about the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) in WWI. It has plenty of (black and white) photos as well as the usual Osprey center color plates, with complete explanations at the end. For historians, it's a bit too thin, but for modelers it comes out great.

You could add Osprey's "MONS 1914" for a more complete view of the BEF.