In the original dust jacket. Navy cloth binding with gilt title on the spine.

We provide an in-depth photographic presentation of this item to stimulate your feeling and touch. More traditional book descriptions are immediately available. 

•  Note: This book carries a £5.00 discount to those that subscribe to the F.B.A. mailing list

Please view our photographs. David French’s work is a highly regarded academic study that bridges the gap between military strategy and home-front administration leading up to and during the first year of World War I. 

• The Core Thesis: French explores how the British Liberal government struggled to transition from a peacetime, laissez-faire economic mindset into a total war footing. 
• “Business as Usual”: The book breaks down the initial British strategy of “business as usual,” which assumed Great Britain could defeat Germany primarily through financial power, trade blockades, and a dominant Royal Navy, rather than deploying a massive continental conscript army. 
• The Failure and Shift: French details how this strategy collapsed under the realities of industrial warfare. He examines the resulting administrative crises—specifically the infamous Munitions Crisis of 1915—which ultimately broke the Liberal government and forced the rise of David Lloyd George and the implementation of state-controlled “Total War”. 

Current Market Value

Because the original 1982 edition from George Allen & Unwin is out of print, it has become a scarce and collectible academic volume. 

• Used Value (Very Good Condition): In the current used book market, an original hardcover in “Very Good” to “Fine” condition typically commands between £60 and £160, depending on whether it retains its original dust jacket. 
• Modern Print Pricing: For comparison, modern print-on-demand library editions of this text (such as those by Routledge) are highly expensive, retailing brand new for £170 to £225.