On the Spot: Allan Mallinson
‘The generalship at the top in the First World War was as bad as Liddell Hart said it was’.
Why are you a military historian?
I like to think that I’m first a historian, but one whose 35 years in the army led to a particular interest.
What’s the most important lesson history has taught you?
That believing you are starting anything from scratch is a fast way to disaster.
Which book has had the greatest influence on you?
Probably – and unfashionably – G.M. Trevelyan’s England Under the Stuarts.
What book in your field should everyone read?
Defeat into Victory, Field Marshal Slim’s account of the campaign in Burma 1942-45.
Which moment would you most like to go back to?
6.30 pm, 18 June 1815 – which means I would have survived the day’s fighting at Waterloo to see the British line advance.
Which historian has had the greatest influence on you?
Directly, John Keegan. Indirectly, Sir John Fortescue.
To continue reading this article you need to purchase a subscription, available from only £5.
Start my trial subscription now
If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.
Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.