This book chronicles three decades largely overshadowed by war and mass unemployment. It was a period that saw in England the formation of a national government, the only genuine incidence of three-party politics, the fruition of campaigns for trades union recognition, women's suffrage, and Irish independence, and abroad withdrawal from the Gold Standard and involvement in collective security. Written in Taylor's customary provocative style, this is historical writing at its best.

Although from different backgrounds, David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill forged a close friendship, delighting in each other's wit, oratory and unconventionality. Both were outsiders. Neither attended university. Above all, both loved political sparring -- often together, in the epic parliamentary battles of the start of the century. Theirs was a personal friendship that involved frequent holidays together and support of each other's families. But their real shared passion was politics. For ten years between 1904 and 1914 they met together every day for an hour's private discussion. Lloyd George profoundly influenced Churchill's political philosophy and played a formative role in his career. Drawing on unseen family archive material, Robert Lloyd George provides an intimate biography of the friendship between his great-grandfather and Churchill, from their public politics to their private passions. He throws fresh light on the two greatest statesmen of twentieth century Britain in peace and in war, and on one of the most enduring friendships in modern politics.

Professor Graham compares the performance of the British Army in the two world wars. He identifies as a source of failure in the World War I, Sir Douglas Haig's inability to adopt appropriate operations for his chosen strategy, or suitable tactics for the operations. Montgomery usually avoided that mistake in the World War II. Graham draws upon his own experience of combat to help the reader make a connection between the orders given to corps and their effect on small units.