▁on ▁' The ▁history ▁of ▁Reading ▁in ▁the ▁later ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁considered ▁with ▁special ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁the ▁g ild ▁merchant ▁in ▁media eval ▁se ign ior ial ▁bor ough s . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁t utor ▁in ▁modern ▁history ▁at ▁M erton ▁College , ▁Oxford . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁Gib bs ▁joined ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁King ' s ▁Drag oon ▁Gu ards . ▁During ▁his ▁military ▁service , ▁he ▁first ▁developed ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁military ▁history . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁he ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁officers ▁to ▁be ▁second ed ▁to ▁the ▁Cab inet ▁Office , ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁on ▁the ▁work ▁to ▁write ▁the ▁official ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁While ▁in ▁the ▁Cab inet ▁Office , ▁Gib bs ▁wrote ▁a ▁study ▁on ▁British ▁troops ▁in ▁Egypt ▁during ▁the ▁pre - war ▁years ▁and ▁their ▁prepared ness ▁for ▁the ▁campaign ▁against ▁German ▁troops ▁under ▁General ▁Er win ▁R omm el ▁in ▁the ▁Western ▁Des ert . ▁Comple ting ▁that ▁work , ▁he ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁assistant ▁to ▁Professor ▁W . ▁K . ▁Han cock ▁and ▁wrote ▁a ▁detailed ▁study ▁on ▁the ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁and ▁its ▁relationships ▁to ▁the ▁armed ▁forces ▁from ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁through ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War . ▁After ▁dem obil isation , ▁Gib bs ▁returned ▁to ▁his ▁fellow ship