Taking the politics of Field Marshal Lord Kitchener's appointment as War Minister as his starting point, the author describes in his lively and authoritative style the dramatic events and dynamic personalities key to the ever-deepening British commitment. The reader is skilfully guided through the early mobilisation, dispatch of the British Expedition Force, withdrawal of overseas garrisons and the response from the Territorial Army. At the same time, Kitchener's now legendary appeal to the civilian population produced 'The New Army'.This led to the 'Pals Battalion' phenomenon and Middlebrook's analysis of the often class-based origins and his listing of the resulting divisions shows that the Movement was broader geographically than has previously been suggested The War's insatiable appetite for human life eventually demanded the introduction of conscription and Your Country Needs You describes how this affected the character of all divisions.
