Byron Farwell

Mr. Kipling's Army

The outrageous, but often glorious, story of Britain's pre-World War I Army.

This is an upstairs-downstairs view of the Victorian-Edwardian army, one of the world's most peculiar fighting forces. The battles it fought are household words, but the idiosyncracies and eccentricities of its soldiers and the often appalling conditions under which they lived have gone largely unrecorded. Byron Farwell explores here the lives of officers and men, their foibles, gallantry, and diversions, their discipline and their rewards.

"An extraordinarily useful reference for those who wish to understand the British Empire at flood tide. I cannot recommend it highly enough."—William Manchester

"I loved it. It's a fascinating social history."—John Brooks

"Highly readable . . . witty and entertaining."—Business Week

"Eye-opening . . . extravagant . . . lively."—Kirkus Reviews

"A thumping good read."—Houston Post

"A delightful and extraordinarily well-informed book."—Washington Post