Introduction; Part I. The Practice of Learning: 1. The legacy of the past; 2. A networked army; 3. Disseminating learning; Part II. Learning in Practice: 4. Inter-theatre; 5. Allies; 6. Civilian expertise; 7. Integrating newcomers; Conclusion.
The first institutional examination of the British army's learning and innovation process during the First World War.
Aimée Fox is a Lecturer in Defence Studies at King's College London. Her research interests centre on organisational learning, change and administration in the British army of the First World War.
'Sheds new light on the extent to which the British army in the
First World War was a learning organisation. Essential reading for
anyone involved or interested in the transformation of today's
armed forces to meet new circumstances and future threats.'
Lieutenant General Sir John Kiszely, author of Anatomy of a
Campaign: The British Fiasco in Norway, 1940
'Adapting to changing complex environments, rather than seeking to
control them, will be fundamental.' So said UK Defence's Future
Force Concept in 2017. Dr Fox's timely, well researched, thought
provoking and thoroughly readable book helps remind us that the
future imperative for Armed Forces to be able to learn, adapt and
change, both tactically and institutionally, quicker than an
adversary are far from being just twenty-first century concerns.
One hundred years ago the same imperative existed. This book helps
unpack how the British Army of the First World War went about
turning words - innovation, adaptability, agility and learning -
into deeds, both tactically and institutionally. As we commemorate
the end of the First World War in 2018, Dr Fox's book is a timely
reminder that history has an important role in helping us with our
Future Force design and its ethos.' Major General 'Mitch'
Mitchell, Director, UK Development, Concepts and Doctrine
Centre
'Aimée Fox's analyses of innovation in the First World War advance
our understanding of that critical time period, but she goes much
further, offering critical lessons for today's military leaders as
well. Learning to Fight is that rare book that can speak equally
well to both the past and the present.' Michael S. Neiberg, author
of Path to War: How the First World War Created Modern America
'Adaptation is predicated upon learning from what was once
'entirely unknown'. Learning to Fight offers a deep dive into how
the British Army and its colonial partners measured up to that task
in the First World War … This is the latest contribution to a
deepening pool of scholarship into military change, and the book
offers a unique framework for the study of wartime adaptation …
this is a well-executed book that dissipates mythology and
discovers insights about the British military of a century ago …
Learning to Fight will appeal to students of World War I, and is
recommended for scholars interested in military sociology, military
learning, and combat effectiveness.' Frank Hoffman, The Strategy
Bridge
'… a superb contribution to the literature of military innovation …
This book is highly recommended for those interested in military
innovation in general and in the institutional adaption of the
British Army in the First World War in particular.' Benjamin Tuck,
Defense & Security Analysis
'From an examination of this book we can now state that the British
Army was an organisation that published, disseminated, debated, and
adapted … Fox's book does a tremendous job of widening our
understanding of the process through which an army at war begins to
learn'. Chris Kempshall, Journal of the Society for Army Historical
Research
'This book is a new approach to scholarship relating to Britain's
military during the conflict, offering a more thorough and
sophisticated understanding regarding military learning … Fox
succeeds in putting forth a considered and thorough analysis of
learning and innovation in the British Army during this period.
This book … is invaluable to studies of military history and the
Great War.' Laura Boyd, Twentieth Century British History
'Aimée Fox has used her wide reading of modern management and
business organisation literature to generate a series of questions
about how large organisations learn and innovate, and then delved
even more widely into archives in both Britain and Australia to
discover how the British army went about doing so.' David French,
The English Historical Review
'An important read for anyone interested in the Great War, this
will also be of value to those trying to understand how military
institutions change and adapt.' New York Military Affairs Symposium
Review
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