service commanders on different subjects, on both the grand strategy and the detail of the war effort. It was not just his work rate and his self-confidence which allowed him to do this. He had a unique and intimate inside knowledge of all three services which allowed him to assess their real needs – a crucial task when money, material resources, and especially manpower, were reaching their limits. No defense minister in modern times has faced such severe problems. No-one else has ever been able to balance the needs of the services in such a way – most of them came from outside with little service experience, while for those trained inside one service, it is almost impossible to gain inside knowledge at a lower level without a bias in favor of one service or another. But Churchill’s knowledge of the three services was almost perfectly balanced by his experiences since he first joined the army in 1896. He made his share of mistakes as a war leader, but this unique balance served him, his cause and his country well.Churchill Warrior looks at how Churchill gained his unique insight into war strategy and administration, and the effect this had on his thinking and leadership. Each period (before, during and after the First World War, and in the Second World War) is divided into four parts – land, sea and air warfare, and combined operations. The conclusion deals with the effect of these experiences on his wartime leadership.Written in Brian Lavery’s acclaimed, insightful and anecdotal style, a grand narrative unfolds starting with the Marlborough toy soldiers and the army class at Eton, which then leads us through those early military and journalistic experiences, the fascinating trials and lessons of the First World War, the criticism and tenacity culminating in the ultimate triumph of the key events in the Second. It explores how some of Churchill’s earliest innovations were to bear fruit decades later, how his uncompromising, but uniquely informed, hands-on approach, and his absolute belief in combined forces in Normandy, led to a systemic victory against the odds.Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsIntroductionPart I Preparing for War1 Becoming a Soldier2 Wars and Words3 South African Springboard4 Ruling the Navy5 Strategy and Tactics6 Churchill at Work7 Personnel8 Matériel9 The Naval Air Service10 The AircraftPart II The Fortunes of War11 The North Sea War12 Antwerp13 Defence and Attack in the Air14 Armoured Car and Tank15 The Underwater War16 The Rest of the World17 Plans for Attack18 Work and Conflict19 Forcing the Straits20 Landing and Withdrawal21 In the Trenches22 The Ministry of MunitionsPart III Peace and War23 The Old Army and the New24 Saving the Air Force25 A Role for the RAF26 The World Crisis27 An Iron Chancellor28 Marlborough29 The Study of Air Power30 The Drift to War31 Winston is Back32 The Navy at WarPart IV Finest Hour and After33 Finest Hour34 War Leader35 War on Land36 War at Sea37 Air Power in Operation38 Air Support39 Combined OperationsConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

Hide more