Victory to Defeat: The British Army 1918-1940

Insight from the Author, Dr. Robert Lyman, MBE and FRHistS

Jan 28, 2025

∙ Paid

The Military Reading Room is thrilled to introduce the Visiting Author’s Corner, a space dedicated to showcasing exceptional works from our community that offer unique perspectives, deepen our appreciation for history and strategy, and provide thought-provoking insights. We are honored to feature Dr. Robert Lyman as our inaugural visiting author.

Dr. Lyman and Richard Dannatt’s outstanding examination of the British Army’s decline in the post-Great War era and its devastating unpreparedness for war in 1939 is both insightful and profoundly relevant to the challenges of today. In this post, Dr. Lyman shares the inspiration behind his book and offers a fascinating glimpse into the lessons uncovered during his research; we invite you to join us in exploring his remarkable contributions.

This image shows the cover of a book titled Victory to Defeat: The British Army 1918–40, co-authored by Richard Dannatt and Robert Lyman. The cover features a historical black-and-white photograph of three British soldiers running across a battlefield, armed and in motion. The title text is bold and prominent, with the phrase "Victory to Defeat" in red, contrasting against the white background. Below the title, in smaller text, is a subtitle: The British Army 1918–40. An endorsement at the bottom of the cover reads, “An excellent book” – Andrew Roberts.

Please tell us a bit about your background and your experiences.

I’m Dr Robert Lyman, a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS). Since retiring …

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