MARC Record from Library of Congress

LEADER: 04622cam a2200373 a 4500
001 2011025596
003 DLC
005 20111116122052.0
008 110621s2011 nyuabf b 001 0 eng
010 $a 2011025596
020 $a9780199832675 (hbk. : acid-free paper)
020 $a0199832676 (hbk. : acid-free paper)
035 $a(OCoLC)ocn704381149
040 $aDLC$cDLC$dIG#$dBTCTA$dYDXCP$dMIX$dCDX$dDLC
043 $ae-uk---
050 00 $aD759$b.E44 2011
082 00 $a940.54/0941$223
084 $aHIS015000$aHIS027100$2bisacsh
100 1 $aEdgerton, David.
245 10 $aBritain's war machine :$bweapons, resources, and experts in the Second World War /$cDavid Edgerton.
260 $aNew York :$bOxford University Press,$c2011.
300 $axvii, 445 p., [16] p. of plates :$bill., maps ;$c25 cm.
520 $a"The familiar image of the British in the Second World War is that of the plucky underdog taking on German might. David Edgerton's bold, compelling new history shows the conflict in a new light, with Britain as a very wealthy country, formidable in arms, ruthless in pursuit of its interests, and in command of a global production system. Rather than belittled by a Nazi behemoth, Britain arguably had the world's most advanced mechanized forces. It had not only a great empire, but allies large and small. Edgerton shows that Britain fought on many fronts and its many home fronts kept it exceptionally well supplied with weapons, food and oil, allowing it to mobilize to an extraordinary extent. It created and deployed a vast empire of machines, from the humble tramp steamer to the battleship, from the rifle to the tank, made in colossal factories the world over. Scientists and engineers invented new weapons, encouraged by a government and prime minister enthusiastic about the latest technologies. The British, indeed Churchillian, vision of war and modernity was challenged by repeated defeat at the hands of less well-equipped enemies. Yet the end result was a vindication of this vision. Like the United States, a powerful Britain won a cheap victory, while others paid a great price. Putting resources, machines and experts at the heart of a global rather than merely imperial story, Britain's War Machine demolishes timeworn myths about wartime Britain and gives us a groundbreaking and often unsettling picture of a great power in action"--$cProvided by publisher.
520 $a"The familiar image of the British in the Second World War is that of the plucky underdog taking on German might. David Edgerton's bold, compelling new history shows the conflict in a new light, with Britain as a very wealthy country, formidable in arms, ruthless in pursuit of its interests, and in command of a global production system. Rather than belittled by a Nazi behemoth, Britain arguably had the world's most advanced mechanized forces. It had not only a great empire, but allies large and small. Edgerton shows that Britain fought on many fronts and its many home fronts kept it exceptionally well supplied with weapons, food and oil, allowing it to mobilize to an extraordinary extent. It created and deployed a vast empire of machines, from the humble tramp steamer to the battleship, from the rifle to the tank, made in colossal factories the world over. Scientists and engineers invented new weapons, encouraged by a government and prime minister enthusiastic about the latest technologies. The British, indeed Churchillian, vision of war and modernity was challenged by repeated defeat at the hands of less well-equipped enemies. Yet the end result was a vindication of this vision. Like the United States, a powerful Britain won a cheap victory, while others paid a great price."--$cProvided by publisher.
504 $aIncludes bibliographical references (p. 385-420) and index.
505 0 $a1. Introduction -- 2. The Assurance of Victory -- 3. Never Alone -- 4. Cronies and Technocrats -- 5. Politics and Production -- 6. Sons of the Sea -- 7. Worlds of War -- 8. Boffins -- 9. Machines and Modernities.
650 0 $aWorld War, 1939-1945$zGreat Britain.
650 0 $aWorld War, 1939-1945$xEconomic aspects$zGreat Britain.
651 0 $aWorld War, 1939-1945$xTechnology.
651 0 $aGreat Britain$xArmed Forces$xEquipment$xHistory$y20th century.
651 0 $aGreat Britain$xArmed Forces$xWeapons systems$xHistory$y20th century.
651 0 $aGreat Britain$xHistory, Military$y20th century.
650 0 $aIndustrial mobilization$zGreat Britain$xHistory$y20th century.
650 0 $aMilitary art and science$xTechnological innovations$zGreat Britain$xHistory$y20th century.