Description
Book SynopsisThis book presents a new way of looking at twentieth-century military history and Britain's decline as a great power. G. C. Peden explores how from the Edwardian era to the 1960s warfare was transformed by a series of innovations, including dreadnoughts, submarines, aircraft, tanks, radar, nuclear weapons and guided missiles.
Trade Review'For a work of detailed historical scholarship, this is a remarkably topical book.' Royal United Services Institute Journal
'Arms, Economics and British Strategy is an outstanding book that will become central to our understanding of British military policy in the twentieth century. ' Diplomacy and Strategy
'This is an excellent book which should be recommended reading for defence and peace economists.' Keith Hartley, University of York
'This is a first-rate book by as first-rate scholar. It is based on a thorough reading in the secondary literature and Peden's own research in the archives, primarily those of the treasury. It is intellectually sophisticated, clearly written, and its conclusions follow nicely from the evidence marshalled in each chapter.' International History Review
'For a work of detailed scholarship, this is a remarkably topical book.' Royal United Services Institute Journal
'The premise of this excellent book is to place arms and defence capability in the context of the British economy and military strategy.' Journal of British Studies
'This book combines in masterly fashion separate strands of historical literature demonstrating beyond dispute that arms, economics, and military strategy are link irrevocably and together determine a country's overall power.' Economic History Review
'Peden succeeds in his aim of providing an integrated account of strategy, technology and economics … the book is an achievement of high order.' Contemporary European History
Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. The Dreadnought era, 1904–14; 2. The First World War; 3. Retrenchment and rearmament, 1919–39; 4. The Second World War; 5. The impacts of the atomic bomb and the Cold War, 1945–54; 6. The hydrogen bomb, the economy and decolonisation, 1954–69; Conclusion; Select bibliography; Index.
