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Published: 2015-07-09

Total Pages: 748

ISBN-13: 9781331037262

Excerpt from England's Battles by Sea and Land a Complete Record It may be said with satisfaction that the achievements of the English army and navy are the glory of English history. Its chapters are full of battle pictures brilliantly illustrating the making of the Empire, and there is scarcely a page without some luminous narrative of soldierly daring, or of heroic gallantly in naval warfare. So rich indeed are the annals of the nation with passages descriptive of valour on sea and land, that as sources of fascinating interest, yielding every variety and type of heroism, they are incomparable. Nor have the changes in times and moods, the greater perplexities of the social struggle, or the keener appreciation of peace, diminished or slackened tho interest excited by, or taken in, these glowing annuls. The prestige of the services is not less now than it has ever been an object of national solicitude. Perhaps the national pride is manifested now with fewer demonstrations - with a more subdued or decorous enthusiasm, but none the less is the nation's concern in the welfare, and pride in the renown, of tho soldiers and sailors of England, deep and abiding. This is shown in the vigilant anxiety of tho public to learn the truth in regard to the condition and equipment of the army and navy. Something more than a suspicion had grown that neither in the one respect nor the other, were the services efficient. It was feared that the exigencies of party were involving sacrifices in the defensive arms, and though perhaps this was not strictly true, there could be no doubt that there was some truth in it. And what tended still further to increase public anxiety were the differences - if not absolute contradictions - between the language and disclosures of experts, and the explanatory statements of ministers. It was contended on the one baud that the fleet was a paper navy - unfit to go into action; and on the other, that it was more than a match for the combined navies of three Continental Powers. The army, it was said by pessimists, was losing its best officers, and was being recruited with difficulty; that the material was too raw and the training too short; that the weapons were had, and that the equipment was shoddy; in a word, that the British army was unfit to take the field. The optimists went to the other extreme. They found the army, if not perfect, at anyrate fit to go anywhere; well officered, admirably equipped, and efficient in everything. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.