Why read The Fear of Invasion?

Book cover of The Fear of Invasion: Strategy, Politics, and British War Planning, 1880-1914

Book description

The Fear of Invasion presents a new interpretation of British preparation for War before 1914. It argues that protecting the British Isles from invasion was the foundation upon which all other plans for the defence of the Empire were built up. Home defence determined the amount of resources available for…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Fear of Invasion as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Matthew S. Seligmann

Author

This book genuinely changes our understanding of British defence policy before the First World War. It is often assumed that the German challenge to British naval supremacy before 1914 was a mirage and that fears that Germany might launch an invasion of the British Isles were simple scaremongering. The reality was different. The Royal Navy may have been bigger and stronger than its German counterpart, but its task was harder and its leaders were not confident that they could prevent German soldiers from landing on British soil. Based on first-rate research, this book explains why.

From Matthew's list on Churchill’s First World War Navy.