A History of the British Army, Vol. 2 / First Part—to the Close of the Seven Years' War

The volume surveys the British Army's evolution between the early 18th century and the close of the Seven Years' War, balancing domestic politics, administrative reform, and military operations. It examines reductions and expansions of the establishment, controversies over purchase and discipline, the Secretary-at-War's influence, and reforms such as the establishment of artillery and Highland regiments. Campaign narratives range from colonial expeditions and Caribbean calamities to continental battles of the Austrian Succession and the suppression of the Jacobite rising, and extend to Anglo-French rivalry in India and North America, showing how political faction, logistical failings, and colonial needs shaped organization and performance.