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Victory to Defeat

The British Army 1918–40

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Victory to Defeat

By: Richard Dannatt, Robert Lyman
Narrated by: Richard Dannatt
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Bloomsbury presents Victory to Defeat by Richard Dannatt and Robert Lyman, read by Richard Dannatt.

‘A compelling history.’ – The Sunday Times
‘Thought-provoking.’ – The Spectator
‘Interesting and well-researched.’ – The Sunday Telegraph

A compelling history of the decline of an army from the triumph of victory in 1918 to defeat in 1940 and why this happened. A salutary warning for modern Britain.

The British Army won a convincing series of victories between 1916 and 1918. But by 1939 the British Army was an entirely different animal. The hard-won knowledge, experience and strategic vision that delivered victory after victory in the closing stages of the First World War had been lost. In the inter-war years there was plenty of talking, but very little focus on who Britain might have to fight, and how. Victory to Defeat clearly illustrates how the British Army wasn’t prepared to fight a first-class European Army in 1939 for the simple reason that as a country Britain hadn’t prepared itself to do so. The failure of the army’s leadership led directly to its abysmal performance in Norway and France in 1940.

Victory to Defeat is a captivating history of the mismanagement of a war-winning army. It is also a stark warning that we neglect to understand who our enemy might be, and how to defeat him, at the peril of our country. The British Army is now to be cut to its smallest size since 1714. Are we, this book asks, repeating the same mistakes again? Europe Great Britain Military War United Kingdom Imperialism
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Critic reviews

The most important book on military history I’ve read in 5-years. If I could buy a copy for every member of Parliament, I would.
Both [authors] are former soldiers, Dannatt having ended his career as chief of the general staff; and they bring their military perspective to their account of this vitally important period. As such their work is highly useful...an interesting and well-researched study of a crucial episode.
A compelling history.
The meat of this book looks at the squandering of the very lessons that delivered victory.
[A] thought provoking book… Robert Lyman is one of the surest, most astute and diligent of military historians writing today. (Allan Mallinson)
Powerful and well-researched, Victory to Defeat is a superb example of how history can explain the present and inform the future. Highly recommended.
An unflinching account of how the British Army threw away the hard-earned lessons of the Western Front, only to face defeat and ruin in France in 1940, which sends out a powerful message for our time: we must think deeply about war and warfighting, and support our fighting men and women with all that they need, if we are not to risk another seismic failure on the battlefield. An essential and urgent book.
Their analysis is succinct, scholarly, convincing, and, with the largest war since 1945 raging in Europe today, timely. It covers strategy, tactics, resources and capabilities, as one would expect, but also ranges far outside military explanations for the debacle, and will be the standard work on the subject for many years to come.
This is a most timely book and should be read by every student at the Staff College... More importantly it should be compulsory reading by every politician. (Gordon Corrigan)
All stars
Most relevant
I was hooked on this book from the start. Sir Dannatts observations and comparisons of the pre Second World War lack of preparations following the end of the First World War to the politicians response following the fall of the old Soviet Union, are an alarm call to the Western powers. As mentioned in this book. To prevent war, ensure you are always prepared for war. One only hopes the current Minister for Defence takes time to read this book! I somehow suspect he won’t

The obvious detailed research undertaken in writing this book.

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I like the authors writing but he is a flat speaker. His research and narrative are superb.

Relevant, and impactful.

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Very insightful and interesting in its narrative. A prescient warning at the end that current politicians would do well to heed.
My only gripe is the narrator. I’m sure General Lord Dannatt was an excellent soldier but in this instance I just didn’t find him particularly engaging! Otherwise an excellent book which Gen Dannatt & Dr Lyman should be justifiably proud of.

Engaging and detailed analysis of the British Army’s decline from the Great War

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A pretty full if basically conservative account of the issues - diagnosis & prognosis. The last thing I want to do is to defend Fuller but to be fair, the Synthesis (the balanced design of the Wehrmacht Panzer Division) would only have been possible in British Army theory & practice because of the Tankist Thesis aggressively challenging the traditionalist Antithesis not despite it.
Also zero credit was given to the real British anti-fascists who fought Franco, Hitler & Mussolini in Spain from 1936. The British/ French attitude was gutless & hypocritical & only helped the enemy.
On the central issue of the absence of Doctrine, RD was a bit too repetitious on the subject. Fascinating listen though & absolutely correct about Doctrine & about the unheeded significance of the Ukraine War. An argument for rejoining the EU & building up to an integrated EU Armed Forces with English as the common language if ever I heard one. ;-)

Doctrine

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A brilliant summation of a past dark period of British military and political failure. The lessons of lack of doctrine, investment and morale courage brought into the here and now. This text should be compulsory reading and study by all leaders both political and military.

The lessons for the future now.

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