The Development of Military History in Britain

How and why did military history emerge, expand and diversify in Britain between 1815 and 1914? Through an exploration of army educational material, university syllabuses and popular history for the reading public, Adam Dighton provides the first comprehensive account of military history's appearance as a historical genre in Britain. By considering the subject's development as it was understood by contemporary readers, historians and publishers, he challenges existing descriptions of the nature, scope and theoretical complexity of nineteenth-century historical writing. He shows how military history came to play a crucial role in officer education and examines the extent to which the writing of prominent military thinkers, such as Jomini and Clausewitz, influenced how the subject was studied. He also explores the ways military history portrayed warfare, the British Army and empire to the reading public, as well as how it was employed to further the ends of imperial rule.