Conquer We Must: A Military History of Britain 1914–1945
Robin Prior
(Yale, £30)
THE predominant message of this vast book is that, although Britain may have been too pacifist in peace in the first part of the 20th century, she was decidedly and admirably bellicose in war. Britain was unique as the only power on the Allied side to fight the enemy—enemies, indeed—in both World Wars from beginning to end. And, given the nature of the powers the nation was fighting, victory was essential —there could be no deals. David Lloyd George, prime minister from the end of 1916, said the First World War must be ‘a finish fight’. Winston Churchill, prime minister from 1940, asked rhetorically ‘What is our aim?’ and answered: ‘It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.’ When the US
