Background
Beckett, Ian Frederick William was born on June 7, 1950 in Whitchurch, Bucks, England. Son of Randolph Alexander and Annie Patricia Beckett.
(All that is written about the activities of the partisan,...)
All that is written about the activities of the partisan, the rebel, the guerrilla seems to emphasize the inhabitant over the invader. This imported collection of six essays from instructors in military science at Britain's Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst examines the other side, using for example literally hundreds of campaigns to show that basic lessons in putting down revolts by subject people must be learned over and over by governments and their military branches. Six countries' attempts at suppression are examined with academic acuity and thoroughness, but the examples dissected are best aimed at those with specialized knowledge. A scholarly treatment, but very accessible.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0713719222/?tag=2022091-20
(The Great War was the first conflict to draw men and wome...)
The Great War was the first conflict to draw men and women into uniform on a massive scale. From a small regular force of barely 250,000, the British army rapidly expanded into a national force of over five million. A Nation in Arms brings together original research into the impact of the war on the army as an institution, gives a revealing account of those who served in it and offers fascinating insights into its social history during one of the bloodiest wars. The opening chapter focuses on the extent of military participation in wartime Britain and its repercussions. The authors go on to examine the regular army in 1914, the officers, Kitchener's New Armies, the Territorials, soldiers and civilians, the relationship of the army as an institution to society, and a final chapter reassesses the postwar army. To illuminate their general theme, the authors highlight the experience of individual units, among them the Black Watch, the Buckinghamshire battalions of the Territorial Force and the Welsh 113th Brigade of the New Army. an important pioneering work that is indispensable reading' (Stand To - Peter Scott) 'cohesive and comprehensive... well research ed and cogently argued' (Albion - David Woodward) 'a comprehensive guide to research.... important contribution in First World War historiography' (History - Brian Bond) 'the authors...demonstrate how much be gained by seeing the history of an army as an aspect of general social history' (THES - Keith Robbins) 'a deeper and invigorated understanding of the extraordinary relations between modern war and the social engines that produce it' (R.E .Canjar)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1783461837/?tag=2022091-20
(In this classic study, first published over 20 years ago,...)
In this classic study, first published over 20 years ago, Ian Beckett gives a comprehensive and scholarly overview of the development of the amateur military tradition in Britain from the mid-sixteenth century to the present day. He shows how standing armies in Britain have been viewed with distrust and how the preference for amateur and temporary soldiers has heightened the importance of the auxiliary forces in defense against both foreign invasion and domestic disorder. His meticulously researched account of these part-time soldiers will be fascinating reading for anyone who is interested in or studying British military or social history. The story of the auxiliary forces is traced from the early evolution of a national militia through to the more systematic organization of local auxiliaries. Close attention is given to the development of such forces as the militia, yeomanry, volunteers, territorials and home guard. Ian Beckett describes the continuity between these forces and the important role they played in local society, highlighting not only their military purpose, but also their function as tools of social control and law-keeping. He also argues that these auxiliary forces, rather than the regular army, have provided an essential point of contract between army and society.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/184884395X/?tag=2022091-20
( The Public Record Office - the National Archives of Eng...)
The Public Record Office - the National Archives of England, Wales and the United Kingdom - holds the most comprehensive and important collection of official documentary records relating to Britain's involvement in World War I. Here, within thematically arranged sections, this wealth of material is systematically listed and explained. Sources of every conceivable aspect of the war are covered, from government decision making and the military conduct of the war in all arenas to home front issues such as food supply and the management of morale. Some generally unknown or unused records are detailed here for the first time and cover topics such as attitudes to the conflict in British universities, war finance and labour. The thematic arrangement also reveals at a glance all the details available for key areas such as gas warfare, military intelligence, the role of women and strategic bombing.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1903365414/?tag=2022091-20
(Lt.-Gen. Sir Garnet Wolseley commented that history would...)
Lt.-Gen. Sir Garnet Wolseley commented that history would record the formation of the Volunteers Movement as one of the most remarkable events in the century. In this study of the Rifle Volunteer Movement, the author Ian Beckett has drawn from a wide range of primary source material such as official, regimental, local and private repositories. He has been able to put into perspective the Movement within the structure of the Victorian and Edwardian social, political and military affairs from its formation in 1859 to its absorption in the Territorial Force in 1908.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1844156125/?tag=2022091-20
(Hardcover: 448 pages Publisher: The Bodley Head for the ...)
Hardcover: 448 pages Publisher: The Bodley Head for the Army Records Society (1986) Language: English ISBN-10: 0370307380 ISBN-13: 978-0370307381 Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1.5 inches Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0370307380/?tag=2022091-20
(This work, part of a series on the British Army, is conce...)
This work, part of a series on the British Army, is concerned with the means the British have used to avoid having a large standing army from earliest times (1558) to this century, preferring to opt for amateur or temporary arrangements for soldiers when the need arose. The amateur military tradition has taken varying forms. The origins of auxiliary forces, for example, are rooted in the military obligations of the Anglo-Saxons and were transmitted through mediaeval legislation to be enshrined in what might properly be called the first militia statutes of 1558. Thereafter, the militia had a formal statutory existence until 1604, and then from 1648 to 1735, to be followed by two similar periods - 1757 to 1831 and 1852 to 1908. The intricacies of the military as an institution of state are explored further in the book, which lays out the complexities of the types of compulsion that the state has used over the years to raise sufficient forces as circumstances have dictated.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0719029120/?tag=2022091-20
(Modern Insurgencies and Counter-Insurgencies explores how...)
Modern Insurgencies and Counter-Insurgencies explores how unconventional warfare tactics have opposed past and present governments all over the world, from eighteenth-century guerrilla warfare to the urban terrorism of today. Insurgency remains one of the most prevalent forms of conflict and presents a crucial challenge to the international community, governments and the military. In addition to examining the tactics of guerrilla leaders such as Lawrence, Mao, Guevara and Marighela, Modern Insurgencies and Counter-Insurgencies also analyses the counter-insurgency theories of Gallieni, Callwell, Thompson and Kitson. It explores such conflicts as: * the American War of Independence * Napoleon's campaign in Spain * the wars of decolonisation * the superpowers in Vietnam and Afghanistan * conflicts in Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone and Colombia.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415239346/?tag=2022091-20
( Whether you are interested in the Green Berets, the cam...)
Whether you are interested in the Green Berets, the campaigns of Augusto Sandino, the accomplishments of Lawrence of Arabia, the Seminole Wars in Florida, or the Russian debacle in Chechnya, look no farther than this volume. The self contained entries offer information in an easy to understand manner, with care taken to present opposing points of view. Encyclopedia of Guerrilla Warfare covers the history of this topic from the late 18th century to the present, including topics such as wars, revolts, conflicts, movements, leaders, strategies, and concepts.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0874369290/?tag=2022091-20
Beckett, Ian Frederick William was born on June 7, 1950 in Whitchurch, Bucks, England. Son of Randolph Alexander and Annie Patricia Beckett.
Bachelor in History with honors, University Lancaster, 1971. Doctor of Philosophy in War Studies, University London, 1974. Professor of military theory (honorary), United States Marine Corps University, 2002.
Administrative assistant University Salford, England, 1974—1979. Senior lecturer in war studies Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, England, 1979—1994. Professor modern history University Luton, England, 1994—2001, visiting professor England, since 2001.
Major General Matthew C. Horner professor military theory United States Marine Corps University, Quantico, Virginia, since 2002. Visiting professor strategy United States Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, 1992—1993.
(This work, part of a series on the British Army, is conce...)
(In this classic study, first published over 20 years ago,...)
( The Public Record Office - the National Archives of Eng...)
(Modern Insurgencies and Counter-Insurgencies explores how...)
( Whether you are interested in the Green Berets, the cam...)
(Hardcover: 448 pages Publisher: The Bodley Head for the ...)
(All that is written about the activities of the partisan,...)
(The Great War was the first conflict to draw men and wome...)
(Lt.-Gen. Sir Garnet Wolseley commented that history would...)
Member of Army Records Society (secretary 1986—2000, chairman since 2000).
Married Trina Margaret Willis. Children: Andrea Charlotte, Mark Frederick.