The British Army: The History and Legacy of the Army That Helped Establish the World’s Largest Empire

By: Charles River Editors

Narrated by: Colin Fluxman

World domination is a vision most kings, queens, and emperors can only dream of and is a path less visited for good reason. It is one that requires above all, patience, as well as skill, tenacity, and an impenetrable plan of action.

The only one to ever come close to this impossible level of prestige is the legendary British Empire. It was under the reign of King Henry VII of England that this ambitious idea of global expansion was first planted. In March of 1496, the king granted an exploratory charter to John Cabot, who would pilot a successful voyage that resulted in the occupation of an uninhabited island in Newfoundland. Though Cabot's second voyage ended in disaster, the courage and will he displayed during these endeavors inspired English explorers to organize more ventures and take to the seas themselves, as they hoped to see just how far they could push the envelope.

Today, the British Army is one of the most powerful fighting forces in the world. Its highly trained professional soldiers are equipped with the most advanced military technology ever made. Its international interventions, while controversial both at home and abroad, are carried out with incredible professionalism and little loss of life among British servicemen and servicewomen. Naturally, the history and traditions behind this army are also impressive. Britain has not been successfully invaded in centuries. Its soldiers once created and defended a global empire, and during the Second World War, it was one of the leading nations standing against the brutal Axis forces, leading the way in the greatest seaborne invasion in military history.

But it was not always like this. For most of its history, Britain was a patchwork of competing nations. England, the largest of its constituent countries, was often relatively weak as a land power compared with its European neighbors. Moreover, Britain’s armies, like those of the other European powers, were neither professional nor standing armies for hundreds of years.

The British Army: The History and Legacy of the Army That Helped Establish the World’s Largest Empire examines the various battles and events that the army played such crucial roles in over the centuries. You will learn about the British Army like never before.

©2018 Charles River Editors (P)2018 Charles River Editors

A Fascinating Subject with a Rich History

I’ve always liked learning about the history of different nations but Charles River Editor's book on England’s history does a spectacular job of highlighting the nuances of different eras. Many of the sources we learn about history from today, college courses or TV, glance over many of the details that differ from modern life and the given historical period leaving us with vague imagery of poor and hungry people but there are always many things going in technology, religion, politics, and the intersection of people lives that act like a spark whose impact are barely acknowledged but all adds up to things like the American revolution. I found that this audiobook had a great balance of how single people impact history to how large scale movements and religions were hurricanes of conflict sometimes for the status quo and sometimes change. One the things I enjoyed the most about this book is learning how the concept of England’s military changed from a monarch’s security force to almost a mercenary force and eventually to the modern notion of a professional military that is the standard for many countries today. If your interested in history I definitely recommend this book.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Comprehensive history of the British army.

With a Good performance by the Narrator you can begin with a minimal amount of knowledge of this Military force and
end with a solid grasp of an Army that ruled almost the entire world.

With a great deal of ground to cover this Audio book can make any listener have a deeper understanding of how and why
the UK helped shape the World will live in today.




This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Great overview of history

Great overview of the British army, tactics and history of war. Great voice talent on audiobook.

Mostly World War One and Two

'The British Army: The History and Legacy of the Army That Helped Establish the World’s Largest Empire' covers the creation and deployment of the British army, giving details on the people, the tactics and the weaponry. It starts with the 'beginnings' of Britain in 1066, but moves very quickly to mid 17th century and the creation of the formal, standing army after the English Civil War.

The book traces the army through various military actions including The Napoleonic wars, the Seven Years War, and the American revolution. It goes through how the army was supplied (such as through individual Lords), the equipment used, and the tactics employed. It is detailed and interesting. It goes into some of the major assaults they are involved in, such as Waterloo.

About halfway through the book we get to the 20th century. From then on out the book is completely World War One and Two. And this is where the book became less interesting to me, as this is a well trodden area. The book also expands scope a little here to discuss other British army adjacent things, like the Australian Imperial Force and their assault (with the Kiwis) on Gallipoli. It also goes into a fair bit of detail on the opposing forces in WW2 and their movements and equipment. This section is good if you want to know more about WW1 and WW2 in general, but if you have that knowledge then this is a large chunk of the book and lost me a bit.

The book also does not continue after World War 2. That is when the Empire started to decline, so maybe that is why a book about the 'Army that helped establish the worlds Largest Empire' stops there. I would have preferred to have something post WW2 though. Aden, Indonesia, Balkans, The Troubles, Persian Gulf, and so on. But there is nothing there.

Narration by Colin Fluxman is good. Clear, well paced, easy to follow. He has a proper English accent that suits the content really well.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this review voluntarily.