From knight and roundhead to the birth of the modern army<br><br>The British Army can trace its lineage back to the middle ages, but for those who are interested in the development of Britain's land forces together with the campaigns that made it into a modern army on the eve of the Great War, there can be few better, more concise and authoritative works than this written by Eric Sheppard. The foundations of the British Army are described to the English Civil War, but Sheppard concentrates on the periods of warfare beginning with the exploits of John Churchill-Duke of Marlborough. Clive, Wellington, Roberts, Kitchener and others all take the stage as each campaign is succinctly described together with those political influences that progressed the Army to its next stage of evolution. Wars are considered within the framework of their geographical sphere so readers are able to grasp the evolution of Europe, India and America as they were known by the beginning of the 20th century. This valuable reference source is accompanied by numerous maps and illustrations as well as well executed vignettes as to the nature of the British Army on the field of battle in various eras. This is not only a book to come back to time after time, but also an invaluable cornerstone in any military history library.