A nation in arms - Ian F. W. Beckett

The Great War was the first conflict to draw men and women into uniform on a massive scale. From a small regular force of barely 250,000, the British Army rapidly expanded into a national force of over five million. A Nation in Arms brings together original research into the impact of the war on the army as an institution, gives a revealing account of those who served in it and offers fascinating insights into its social history during one of the bloodiest wars. - - 'an important pioneering work that is indispensable reading' (Stand To - Peter Scott) - - 'cohesive and comprehensive... well research ed and cogently argued' (Albion - - David Woodward) - - 'a comprehensive guide to research.... important contribution in First World War historiography' (History - Brian Bond) - - 'the authors...demonstrate how much be gained by seeing the history of an army as an aspect of general social history' (THES - Keith Robbins) - - 'a deeper and invigorated understanding of the extraordinary relations between modern war and the social engines that produce it' (R.E .Canjar) - -