In the 1930s and 1940s, the military historian and strategic analyst Basil Liddell Hart developed the British ‘Way in Warfare’ thesis, which characterised British practice in warfare as a ‘naval body’ with two arms – one financial, expressed through trade, and the other military, comprising the deployment of combined army-naval operations. Though this theory has been the subject of much criticism, Reassessing the British Way in Warfare offers a much needed re-evaluation of its merits during the reigns of William and Anne. By examining the origins, progress and consequences of the Nine Years’ War (1688-1697) and the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1713), K. A.J. McLay provides us with the first detailed test of the historical credibility of Liddell Hart’s thesis during the late 17th and 18th centuries.
- Reassessing the British Way in Warfare Keith McLay, University of Derby
Image courtesy of interviewee. May 5, 2020