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Title: A must-read for the military historian
Review: The title comes from the German view of the English soldiers who charged into their machine guns and barbed wire: "Lions led by donkeys." The donkeys were the professional officers of the British army that was destroyed in those battles, officers who were unable to adapt to the awful technology that changed the face of war forever. When I was studying under Michael (now Sir Michael) Howard at All Souls in 1972-4, he insisted that this book should be read by anyone who wanted to understand the early phase of the Great War. It is a classic and must be read by anyone trying to understand the impact of the War on the English people, and the shock of the early battles on the perception of the British military of what needed to be done. It is judgmental to be sure, and would not be the only source one would need to understand this critical transition, but it is nonetheless an essential text.Bob Rizzi Bethesda, MD
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