Kitchener's Army: The Raising of the New Armies 1914-1916 - Hardcover

Simkins, Peter

4.3

23 ratings by Goodreads

9781844155859: Kitchener's Army: The Raising of the New Armies 1914-1916

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1844155854 ISBN 13: 9781844155859

Publisher: Pen & Sword Military, 2007

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Kitchener's Army Numbering over 5 million men, Britain's army in the First World War was the biggest in the country's history. This title offers an account of the mass mobilisation to meet the Army's insatiable appetite for young men. It describes how Kitchener's New Armies were raised and reviews the economic and social effects of the recruiting campaign. Full description

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Review:

"an excellent and essential work of reference."--C. Baker "Great War Forum " "...well-written...does an excellent job of putting Britain's volunteer army, which affected so many families, into context. This highly recommended text will give you an appreciation of what your ancestors experienced and tell you where to look for more information."--FGS FORUM

Synopsis:

Numbering over five million men, Britain's army in the First World War was the biggest in the country's history. Remarkably, nearly half those men who served in it were volunteers. 2,466,719 men enlisted between August 1914 and December 1915, many in response to the appeals of the Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener. How did Britain succeed in creating a mass army, almost from scratch, in the middle of a major war? What compelled so many men to volunteer - and what happened to them once they had taken the King's shilling? Peter Simkins describes how Kitchener's New Armies were raised and reviews the main political, economic and social effects of the recruiting campaign. He examines the experiences and impressions of the officers and men who made up the New Armies. As well as analysing their motives for enlisting, he explores how they were fed, housed, equipped and trained before they set off for active service abroad. Drawing upon a wide variety of sources, ranging from government papers to the diaries and letters of individual soldiers, he questions long-held assumptions about the 'rush to the colours' and the nature of patriotism in 1914.

The book will be of interest not only to those studying social, political and economic history, but also to general readers who wish to know more about the story of Britain's citizen soldiers in the Great War.

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