Some sixty years after the Far Eastern War ended, this innovative new collection brings together five distinguished UK-based scholars and five from Japan to reappraise their respective country's leadership in the Malaya and Burma campaigns. This leadership is analyzed on various levels, ranging from the grand strategic to operational. The Japanese contributors examine the reasons for their forces, brilliant advances in 1941-42, whereas the British writers have to account for the disastrous defeat, characterized by the poor leadership of senior commanders such as Bennett and Percival. Between 1943 and 1945, the tables were turned dramatically, so the failure of Japanese command decisions then comes under critical scrutiny and the British have to explain how defeat was transformed into victory. Above all, this volume should stimulate interest in different methods and styles of military leadership in view of the contrasting approaches of the British and Japanese in the Second World War.

Some 60 years after the Far Eastern War ended, this innovative collection brings together five distinguished UK-based scholars and five from Japan to reappraise their respective countries' leadership in the Malaya and Burma campaigns. This leadership is analyzed on various levels, ranging from the grand strategic to operational.
The Japanese contributors examine the reasons for their forces brilliant advances in 1941-42, whereas the British writers have to account for the disastrous defeat, characterized by the poor leadership of senior commanders such as Bennett and Percival. Between 1943 and 1945, the tables were turned dramatically, so the failure of Japanese command decisions then comes under critical scrutiny and the British have to explain how defeat was transformed into victory.
Using both archival and published sources, Japanese scholars are now in a position to reappraise their war leaders, including Tojo and Mutaguchi, from a much more critical standpoint than was possiblepreviously. But it was their flawed command "system," ultimately involving the emperor, that was most at fault.
Although certain aspects of the British campaigns have already received saturation coverage, this book provides new perspectives on the failures of Allied leadership in Malaya and Burma; the morale and fighting spirit of the British forces in the heroic struggle for Imphal and Kohima; and the all-important role of British and US air power. Not least, General Sir William Slim's remarkable achievement as commander of XIV Army is critically assessed but found to be fully deserved. Above all, this volume should stimulate interest in different methods and styles of military leadership in viewof the contrasting approaches of the British and Japanese in World War II.

This is the first systematic scholarly study of the historiography of the First World War. The First World War remains controversial in its conduct and broader implications, and this volume explores many issues which continue to cause debate, such as Haig's generalship, the role of T.E. Lawrence in the Arab Revolt, and the failure of the Dardanelles campaign. It also examines the new approaches to the war stimulated by the fiftieth anniversaries in the 1960s, and follows them through to contemporary concern with the experiences of ordinary soldiers and their chroniclers. The contributors are leading historians of the First World War. They draw their material from a wide range of contemporary sources and subsequent accounts, and make full use of recent research. They provide new insights into the age-old problems of war and attitudes to warfare. Their purpose is to demonstrate how our understanding of war and our image of the First World War have been shaped by the historical writing of the twentieth century.

A pioneering work in British military history, originally published in 1972, this book is both scholarly and entertaining. Although the book concentrates on a single institution, it illuminates a much wider area of social and intellectual change. For the Army the importance of the change was enormous: in 1854 there was neither a Staff College nor a General Staff, and professional education and training were largely despised by the officers: by 1914 the College could justly be described as 'a school of thought' while the officers it had trained were coming to dominate the highest posts in Commands and on the General Staff.

Originally published in 1977, this volume filled a gap in existing scholarship by providing a comprehensive group of essays on the historical study of war and armed forces and their relationship with society. These volumes include articles ranging from the Renaissance to the era of total war.

Originally published in 1975, this volume filled a gap in existing scholarship by providing a comprehensive group of essays on the historical study of war and armed forces and their relationship with society. These volumes include articles ranging from the Renaissance to the era of total war.

Originally published in 1977, this volume filled a gap in existing scholarship by providing a comprehensive group of essays on the historical study of war and armed forces and their relationship with society. These volumes include articles ranging from the Renaissance to the era of total war.

A pioneering work in British military history, originally published in 1972, this book is both scholarly and entertaining. Although the book concentrates on a single institution, it illuminates a much wider area of social and intellectual change. For the Army the importance of the change was enormous: in 1854 there was neither a Staff College nor a General Staff, and professional education and training were largely despised by the officers: by 1914 the College could justly be described as 'a school of thought' while the officers it had trained were coming to dominate the highest posts in Commands and on the General Staff.

Originally published in 1975, this volume filled a gap in existing scholarship by providing a comprehensive group of essays on the historical study of war and armed forces and their relationship with society. These volumes include articles ranging from the Renaissance to the era of total war.

Conciliation of Construction Industry Disputes describes Conciliation as it has evolved and been practised in Ireland for the past 25 years and provides readers with practical guidance on this Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) method. Conciliation combines advantages of both mediation and adjudication and has been very widely practiced in Ireland over the last 25 years. It is low cost, quick and has been hugely successful. It continues to be the most used and preferred method of resolution of disputes in Irish construction contracts despite the introduction of statutory adjudication. The book includes a comparison of the various methods of ADR and will assess how Conciliation fits into them, noting the pros and cons of each. Conciliation is described in detail and the reasons for its success are analysed. This book provides comprehensive guidance on how conciliation should be conducted to maximise its chance of being successful. Drawing on his wide experience of resolving disputes by conciliation, Brian Bond illustrates the problems which can be encountered and how they may be overcome. This book will be useful reading for all involved in construction contracts, construction managers, lawyers and legal advisers, conciliators, those aspiring to become conciliators and anyone looking for an alternative dispute resolution method to a construction contracts dispute.

Britain's role and performance in the two World Wars continues to generate considerable debate but the wars are rarely considered together. Leading military historian Brian Bond here challenges the popular view of the First World War as catastrophic and futile in contrast to the Second World War as a well-conducted and victorious moral crusade. He focuses on the key issues which have caused controversy and distortion, to demonstrate how these views became deeply rooted in popular culture in the years since 1945. These issues range from policy and strategy, combat experience, the attritional strategies of naval blockade and strategic bombing to British generalship, and gains and losses in the aftermath of both wars. He also considers the learning process of the British Army in both world wars. He boldly concludes that in a number of important respects Britain was more successful in the First World War than in the Second.

Britain's outstanding military achievement in the First World War has been eclipsed by literary myths. Why has the Army's role on the Western Front been so seriously misrepresented? This 2002 book shows how myths have become deeply rooted, particularly in the inter-war period, in the 1960s, and in the 1990s. The outstanding 'anti-war' influences have been 'war poets', subalterns' trench memoirs, the book and film of All Quiet on the Western Front, and the play Journey's End. For a new generation in the 1960s the play and film of Oh What a Lovely War had a dramatic effect, while more recently Blackadder has been dominant. Until more recently, historians had either reinforced the myths, or had failed to counter them. This book follows the intense controversy from 1918 to the present, and concludes that historians are at last permitting the First World War to be placed in proper perspective.

In Western Europe and North America the idea that war can deliberately be used as an `instrument of policy' has become unfashionable, not least because of the carnage of two World Wars and the Americans' humiliating experience in Vietnam. But wars are still fought. Those who start wars clearly believe they are worthwhile. Why? In this original and provocative study, Brian Bond discusses the successes and failures of military and political leaders in their pursuit of victory over the last two centuries. Professor Bond argues that in order to be counted victorious, a leader has to progress beyond military triumph to preserve the political control needed to secure an advantageous and enduring peace settlement. Napoleon was a brilliant general, but failed as a statesman. Bismarck, on the other hand, was a success in skilfully exploiting Moltke's victories on the battlefield to create a unified Germany. In the First World War, Germany and her allies were defeated but at such great cost that confidence in the idea that war could be controlled, and the pursuit of victory made rational, received a terrible shock. Germany and Japan exploited their military opportunites between 1939 and 1942, but lack of political control and moderation brought them catastrophic defeat. After 1945, nuclear weapons and the increased complexity of international relations blurred the identity of `victors' and `losers' and seemed to make the idea of a `decisive' victory almost unthinkable. But this study warns against the assumption that war as an instrument of policy has now been completely discarded. The Falklands and Gulf conflicts show that aggressors are still prepared to risk war for tangible goals, and that their opponents are quite capable of responding successfully to such challenges.

Britain's role in the First World War has been portrayed through literature, films and plays with a marked un-historical, anti-war spirit. Deeply-rooted myths have thus become dominant and historians have either endorsed them, or have written narrowly for other specialists. As a result of the opening of official military archives and more objective study, these portrayals are now being challenged. This book traces the controversy from 1918 to the present, concluding that historians are finally permitting World War I to be placed in a more accurate perspective.

At the heart of all things is simplicity, and often all it takes to be revealed are a few sage words, formed into potent observations. "Life Simple" is a collection of these insights, thoughtfully noted over the course of a decade. Rekindle your sense of wonder, and delight in the flow of the world that surrounds us. Allow "Life Simple" to take you on a journey that celebrates laughter, honors sorrow, and provides countless ways to help you find deep meaning in life.

This is the story of how a boy from a poor background benefited from the new opportunities available in the post-1945 era to attend a very good grammar school, gain entry to Oxford University and eventually became a professor at a top grade university, King's College, London. Early chapters show how hard it was to get a foothold on the lowest rungs of the academic ladder, particularly in a subject, military history, where there were virtually no established positions. No matter how talented and industrious, good fortune played a crucial role, as in so many careers, in helping Brian Bond at a critical stage. By a remarkable coincidence, since Brian was reading some of his books at Oxford, Basil (later Sir Basil) Liddell Hart came to live in the village and promptly gave him tremendous encouragements and support. Liddell Hart, at that time probably the best known military writer in the world, provided wonderful references which, after numerous setbacks, led to junior academic appointment at Exeter and Liverpool universities. Equally important Liddell Hart introduced Brian to Michael Howard (now Sir Michael Howard OM) who was just beginning to pioneer the study of military history-war studies at King's College, London. Michael had a difficult time in persuading the academic establishment that this was a respectable and very important new field of study, but in 1965 he succeeded in setting up a Department of War Studies, and in the following year recruited Brian as a Lecturer in Military History. Promotion was necessarily slow in a tiny department, but Brian was eventually elevated to Reader and then Professor. The central chapters in this personal memoir provide a frank account of what it was like to teach military history at all levels (but especially to MA and PhD candidates) in the late 20th century. From the outset the students were drawn from virtually every country in the free world and competition for entry was tough. Numbers of staff and students increased steadily through the 1970s and 1980s, but then there was a sudden dramatic expansion as the Department admitted undergraduates for the first time. The range of subjects taught also widened impressively with more emphasis placed on contemporary Strategic Studies. But the `philosophy' inculcated by Michael Howard; namely the disinterested study of warfare in a broad social and political context continued to provide the Departments teaching. On the personal level Brian Bond contrasts successes and achievements with `bad days' in the office and the lecture hall which will strike a chord with all fellow teachers. He also pens a lively account of some of his overseas travels, particularly in Canada, the United States, Pakistan and Japan as well as attending numerous conferences in Europe. In the penultimate chapter `Books do Furnish a Room' he describes how and why his own books came to be written, and how they were received. The extra theme or dimension which raises this account above the personal is the remarkable development of military history during Brian Bond's careers. Even in the late 1950s scarcely any military history courses were offered in British universities, and there was not a single department. By 2000 the picture had changed drastically with several centres of excellence in the field and with strong interest and support from students. Since then there have been further positive developments which have been surveyed in a concluding chapter entitles `The Legacy'. Since Brian retired in 2001 he has had only a marginal connection with these later trends but has been given invaluable help in this survey from several colleagues, especially Sir Hew Strachan and Professor Martin Alexander. It is not for the author to assess his own contribution to the development of military history-war studies, nor to claim that the Department at King's College was the sole pioneer of the new academic subject. But Brian can accurately, if immodestly, point out that he spent thirty five years in the Department (and participating in the wider ramifications of the subject), contributed a substantial variety of books and other publications and, perhaps most importantly, supervised fifty successive PhD candidates, several of whom are now outstanding leaders in the field.

Britain's role and performance in the two World Wars continues to generate considerable debate but the wars are rarely considered together. Leading military historian Brian Bond here challenges the popular view of the First World War as catastrophic and futile in contrast to the Second World War as a well-conducted and victorious moral crusade. He focuses on the key issues which have caused controversy and distortion, to demonstrate how these views became deeply rooted in popular culture in the years since 1945. These issues range from policy and strategy, combat experience, the attritional strategies of naval blockade and strategic bombing to British generalship, and gains and losses in the aftermath of both wars. He also considers the learning process of the British Army in both world wars. He boldly concludes that in a number of important respects Britain was more successful in the First World War than in the Second.