An enlightening history of the Anglo-American alliance in the Second World War, from high command down to the soldiers on the ground. In the mid-twentieth century the relationship between America and Britain had a chequered past. Theirs was a history of protection and oppression, of rebellion and ultimately war. But then the shared crisis of World War Two brought Britain and America closer than ever before or since, and saw an unprecedented level of military cooperation. How was such a radical shift possible? To uncover how this historically fraught relationship recovered from its inauspicious start, Niall Barr goes back to the origins of their shared military history in the American War of Independence and shows how these early days had ramifications for the later crucial alliance. Picking up the tale with America's entry into the Second World War, Niall Barr tells the story of these two armies as they fought in the largest war in history, right from the uppermost echelons of the relationship between Churchill and Roosevelt down to battlefield level and the soldiers fighting side by side for a common cause.

Yanks and Limeys: Alliance Warfare in the Second World War

History

Barr, Niall

Military

JONATHAN CAPE.

In the years following World War I, the British Legion became a symbol for service, tradition, and stability in British life. In the war's aftermath, many veterans organizations on the continent became violently politicized. However, the competing groups in Britain came together in 1921 to form the unified and overtly non-political British Legion, the mission and identity of which was founded upon its members' experience of the Great War. The Legion belief that the comradeship of the trenches could transcend all barriers of rank and class was a reflection of the startling changes stirred by the Great War. Instead of succumbing to bitterness and alienation, the British Legion became a positive social force in the 1920s.
Based on extensive original research, this is the first modern work to take an objective and analytical view of the British Legion. By examining each major facet of the British Legion in turn, Barr draws a convincing picture of this organization that became a national institution. Through its branches and clubs, fund-raising activities, political pressure, and work for peace, the British Legion became part of the fabric of British life and exerted a powerful and profound influence upon British society and politics. A better understanding of the legion and its social impact fills a real gap in our understanding of British life and society during the inter-war years.

The Lion and the Poppy: British Veterans, Politics, and Society, 1921-1939

Europe

Praeger

Based on extensive original research, Pendulum of War looks at the arguments behind the change in fortunes of Britain’s desert army in 1942. Barr provides a vivid picture of the fighting at el Alamein from the early desperate days of July to the final costly victory in Novembe A compelling new history of a crucial turning point in the Second World War, and a detailed picture of the British Army at a critical stage in its fight against Hitler’s Germany.In June 1942, following the fall of Tobruk, the defeated British Eighth Army was streaming back towards the tiny railway halt of El Alamein in the western desert of Egypt. The Eighth Army had suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Rommel’s Panzerarmee Afrika. Yet just five months later, the famous bombardment opened the Eighth Army’s own offensive which destroyed the Axis threat to Egypt.Explanations for the remarkable change of fortune have generally been sought in the personalities of the commanders Generals Auchinleck and Montgomery, and that of their legendary opponent, Field Marshall Rommel.Pendulum of War is the story of how an army learnt from its mistakes. Niall Barr shows that the focus on personality has blurred the continuity of experience that saw the Eighth Army transform itself from a tactically inept collection of units into a battle-winning force that eventually mastered the veterans of Rommel’s Afrika Korps. The book provides a vivid and fresh perspective on the fighting at El Alamein from the early desperate days of July to the final costly victory in November.

Pendulum of War

Pimlico

Barr (defense studies, Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham) views Flodden as important because the battle lay on the cusp of several developments: a new Renaissance understanding of the past, profound military developments in the 16th century, and the Reformation. Barr's sources include three published works and two letters all claiming eyewitness accounts, recent scholarship on James IV's reign, Swiss military techniques emulated by the Scots, and data drawn from two centuries of gunpowder artillery. Line drawings, photos, and color plates support the text. Appendices provide statistics on the battle and excerpts from eyewitness source materials. Distributed in the US by by Arcadia Publishing. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Flodden 1513: The Scottish Invasion of Henry Viii's England

Tempus Pub Ltd

This infamous battle was the scene where Scotland’s “rose nobill”—James IV—lost his life to Henry VIII’s army as he courageously, and perhaps recklessly, led his own into the battlefield. While Niall Barr looks at the revolutionary nature of the battle in terms of the way it was fought, he also examines the political and social forces that caused these two old enemies to clash once more.

Flodden

Tempus

Court, Kirk, and Community: Scotland 1470-1625 (The New History of Scotland)

Edward Arnold

An accessible account of the pivotal World War II African campaign that helped turn the tide for Allied forces describes the failed offensive of the British Eighth Army in June 1942, the controversial decisions attributed to the campaign's commanders, and the army's subsequent transformation into a battle-winning unit. 15,000 first printing.

Pendulum of War: Three Battles at El Alamein

Abrams Press

An accessible account of the pivotal World War II African campaign that helped turn the tide for Allied forces describes the failed offensive of the British Eighth Army in June 1942, the controversial decisions attributed to the campaign's commanders, and the army's subsequent transformation into a battle-winning unit. Reprint.

Pendulum of War: The Three Battles of El Alamein

An authoritative and dramatic behind-the-scenes history of 'the Atlantic Alliance' during World War II. The Anglo-American relationship from 1941-1945 proved to be the most effective military alliance in history. Yet there were also constant tensions and disagreements that threatened to pull the alliance apart. This book highlights why the unprecedented level of cooperation between the very different American and British forces eventually led to victory but also emphasizes the tensions and controversies which inevitably arose. Based on considerable archival research on both sides of the Atlantic, this work considers the breadth and depth of the relationship from high-level strategic decisions, the rivalries and personalities of the commanders to the ordinary British and American soldiers who fought alongside one another. The book also looks back and demonstrates how the legacy of previous experience shaped the decisions of the war. Eisenhower's Armies is the story of two very different armies learning to live, work, and fight together even in the face of serious strategic disagreements. The book is also a very human story about the efforts of many individuals—famous or otherwise—who worked and argued together to defeat Hitler’s Germany. In highlighting the cooperation, tensions, and disagreements inherent in this military alliance, this work shows that Allied victory was far from pre-ordained and proves that the business of making this alliance work was vital for eventual success. Thus this dynamic new history provides a fresh perspective on many of the controversies and critical strategic decisions of World War II. As such, this book provides expert analysis of the Anglo-American military alliance as well as new insights into the ‘special relationship’ of the mid-twentieth century.

Eisenhower's Armies: The American-British Alliance during World War II

Americas

Pegasus Books

An authoritative and dramatic behind-the-scenes history of 'the Atlantic Alliance' during World War II. The Anglo-American relationship from 1941-1945 proved to be the most effective military alliance in history. Yet there were also constant tensions and disagreements that threatened to pull the alliance apart. This book highlights why the unprecedented level of cooperation between the very different American and British forces eventually led to victory but also emphasizes the tensions and controversies which inevitably arose. Based on considerable archival research on both sides of the Atlantic, this work considers the breadth and depth of the relationship from high-level strategic decisions, the rivalries and personalities of the commanders to the ordinary British and American soldiers who fought alongside one another. The book also looks back and demonstrates how the legacy of previous experience shaped the decisions of the war. Eisenhower's Armies is the story of two very different armies learning to live, work, and fight together even in the face of serious strategic disagreements. The book is also a very human story about the efforts of many individuals―famous or otherwise―who worked and argued together to defeat Hitler’s Germany. In highlighting the cooperation, tensions, and disagreements inherent in this military alliance, this work shows that Allied victory was far from pre-ordained and proves that the business of making this alliance work was vital for eventual success. Thus this dynamic new history provides a fresh perspective on many of the controversies and critical strategic decisions of World War II. As such, this book provides expert analysis of the Anglo-American military alliance as well as new insights into the ‘special relationship’ of the mid-twentieth century.

Eisenhower's Armies

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