The Battles of the British Expeditionary Forces, 1914-1915: Historiography and Annotated Bibliography

(Hardback)

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In this valuable resource, over 1,000 annotated sources from Great Britain, France, and Germany offer a historiographical reference for study of the British army in the first battles of World War I. Unique to this bibliography is the comprehensive coverage of sources, and it results in a more complete picture of the activities of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Sources include coverage of the BEF's military role, as well as background information about domestic military considerations and Allied and enemy efforts. This volume will support researchers and students in their efforts to find out what the Expeditionary Force's contributions were in World War I, and expandtheir knowledge of the Great War and British military history. The volume includes four chapters of historiographical essays discussing the interpretations and controversies that surround the performance and leadership of the BEF in 1914-1915. The essays direct readers to the major sources that support various ideas and indicate gaps in the historiography of the subject. Following the historiographical essays is an annotated bibliography of more than 1,000 sources that are relevant to the study of the BEF.

Reviews

[A] masterly work . . . The index to this book is one of the most useful and comprehensive that I have ever seen and is almost a research tool in it's own right. A wonderful book. * The Bulletin of the Military Historical Society *
[A]ny serious scholar commencing a study of British or Canadian experiences on the Western Front in 1914-1915 will find this volume to be a gold mine of useful and often obscure forces. * The Journal of Military History *
According to Hartesveldt, the British Expeditionary Force played a significant role in the first eighteen months of World War I. . . . [H]e provides a historiographical essay describing the major debates of historians about the B.E.F. during this period and highlighting references to the more important scholarly contribution to the debate. He then presents an annotated bibliography, presented in standard format, intended to cover all significant studies on the B.E.F. during the opening months of the war. * Reference & Research Book News *

Author Bio

Fred R. Van Hartesveldt holds a Ph.D. in history from Auburn University. He is the editor of the Journal of the Georgia Association of Historians, and Secretary-Treasurer of the Southern Conference on British Studies.