Between September 1939 and June 1940, the British Expeditionary Force confronted the German threat to France and Flanders with a confused mind-set, an uncertain skills-set and an uncompetitive capability. This book explores the formation's origins, the scale of defeat in France and the campaign's considerable legacy.
"Edward Smalley's thorough study traces the origins of the poor performance in 1939-1940 through the previous twenty years ... . impressive contribution to our understanding of the BEF's deficiencies in 1939-1940. ... this book would at once be added to the select list of essential reading." (Professor Brian Bond, British Journal for Military History, Vol. 2 (1), November, 2015)