This is one of the most valuable books in the armoury of the serious student of British Military history. It is a new and revised edition of Arthur White's much sought-after bibliography of regimental, battalion and other histories of all regiments and Corps that have ever existed in the British Army. This new edition includes an enlarged addendum to that given in the 1988 reprint. It is, quite simply, indispensible.

This book has a subtitle: 'Some Records of Battle and Laughter in France' which sets the tone of this history, the history of one of the most remarkable brigades that fought on the Western Front, part of one of the most remarkable divisions. The 18th (Eastern) Division became an elite formation, one of Kitchener's Second New Army divisions, which had the advantage of being commanded by Ivor Maxse, foremost among commanders for his training and leadership qualities. He commanded it for two and a quarter years and his successor, R.P Lee, another good commander, lead it for the rest of the war. Only two GOCs in four years of war. The 54th Brigade was to win eight VCs, the highest number for a non-regular army brigade, eight out of the eleven awarded to the division. The history is made up of the stories and recollections of all ranks, and the style is very informal. The compiler or editor has chosen to remain anonymous, but the result is something like a regimental history, with a good sprinkling of personalities identified in the narrative. Much is made of the ‘Spirit of the Brigade, a morale booster undoubtedly helped by the fact the battalions stayed together from the time they arrived in France in July 1915 till the reorganization of the BEF in February 1918 when brigades were reduced to three battalions. The 54th Brigade certainly saw a great deal of action and there are plenty of lively descriptions. The Brigade commander tells of his visit to an emplacement known as Panama House during a lively ‘strafe'. The company sergeant-major emerged, grabbed the brigadier and threw him inside saying: 'We don’t want no dead Brigadiers round our pillbox.' The brigade commanders and staff and the unit commanders are listed in the appendix and the eight VC citations are given.

The Artists Rifles originated in May 1860 as a corps of rifle volunteers, formed by an art student, Edward Sterling, from members of the artistic professions. Its first HQ was at Burlington House. It provided the largest contingent for the City Imperial Volunteers in the Boer War. When the Territorial Force was created in 1908 it became the 28th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment. Shortly after the outbreak of the Great War second line and third line battalions were formed - numbered 2/28th and 3/28th, the original battalion being 1/28th. The latter arrived in France at the end of October 1914 and became an Officers Training Corps (OTC), first at Bailleul and in April 1915 at St Omer. In November 1915 it absorbed the 2/28th; the 3/28th (which remained in the UK) then became 2/28th. In the summer of 1917 cadet schools in France were closed and potential officers were sent to the UK for training, and 1/28th Battalion, freed at last from its OTC role, was sent to the front at the end of June 1917, allocated to 190th Brigade, 63rd (RN) Division where it remained to the end of the war. A short (17 pages) but very informative history of the battalion's service in the line is included in the preface. This remarkable book contains a complete record of all whose names have been inscribed in the regiment's Muster Roll since August 1914, showing commissions obtained, when and in which corps/regiments; honours and decorations awarded with citations where published; and a list of all casualties. There is a total of 15,022 names, that is everyone who at one time or another served in the Regiment in any capacity. 10,256 received commissions, eight VCs were awarded, and the casualties suffered throughout the war numbered 6,071 of whom 2,003 were killed. There are summary tables of awards and of casualties.

A complete Order of Battle for the British Army in 1914. 470 content pages.