Architect of Victory

’A thoughtful reassessment,’ - Stand To!

’Sharp and clear...swift and surefooted,’ - The Scotsman

’A careful biographer,’ - Times Literary Supplement

’Those new to the Haig debate will receive a good introduction. Those already familiar with the subject matter will enjoy Reid’s writing style and reflective moments.’ - The British Army Review

’An outstanding success. The argument is beautifully presented and written in very clear English. This is a substantial work which follows the rules of classical biography.’ - Politique étrangère

Haig’s persistent image as an unimaginative butcher is unenviable and unmerited. In fact he masterminded a British-led victory over a continental opponent on a scale that has never been matched before or since. Whereas Wellington commanded forces at Waterloo in which the British were only a minority, in the final stages of the war Haig controlled a vast British Army, which had grown from a mere six divisions to sixty. The British Army in France in 1918 comprised nearly three million men – only a third less than the population of London, then the largest city in Europe. Fascinated by technology, Haig pressed for the use of tanks, enthusiastically embraced air power, and encouraged the use of new techniques involving artillery and machine-guns. Above all, he presided over a change in infantry tactics from almost total reliance on the rifle towards all-arms, multi-weapons techniques that formed the basis of British army tactics until the 1970s.

Prior re-evaluations of Haig’s achievements have largely been limited to monographs and specialist writings. Walter Reid has written the first biography that takes into account modern military scholarship, and gives a more rounded picture of the private man than has previously been available. What emerges is a picture of a comprehensible human being, not necessarily particularly likeable, but honourably ambitious, able and intelligent, and the man more than any other responsible for delivering victory in 1918.