Nations in Arms

Nations in Arms is a remarkable book, written by one of our very best military historians… It is a great read for historians that rings alarm bells for policy-makers. * Michael Clarke, Visiting Professor of Defence Studies, King’s College London *Clearly written and convincingly argued, this stylish synthesis represents a call to arms by one of our most distinguished soldiers and historians. * Tim Bouverie, author of ‘Allies at War’ *General White-Spunner’s thoughtful, well-written, occasionally witty but above all profoundly wise book reminds us how focusing on specific periods of history can cast penetrating light on the nature both of warfare and the human condition. With our current uncertainties over Western security, it is also incredibly timely. * Andrew Roberts, author of ‘Churchill: Walking with Destiny’ *An engrossing study in the importance of adapting military capacity while wars are actually being fought, with five examples of this being done successfully between Constantine the Great and the Second World War. * Times Literary Supplement, Books of the Year 2025 *A must-read for anyone interested in the geopolitical challenges facing us today, and for anyone interested in the politico-military challenges of the past. – Oliver Letwin * The Tablet, Books of the Year 2025 *

Barney White-Spunner commanded British and allied troops on operations at every level from troop to division, was policy director in the Ministry of Defence, commanded on operations within the US Army, restructured the British Army for Afghanistan and commanded the British Field Army. As a military historian he has written Horse Guards (2006), Of Living Valour (2015), Partition (2017) and Berlin (2021). He has also served as the President of the Society for Army Historical Research.