World Wars: History, Literature, and Impact
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Abstract
Abstract This article seeks to gain a deeper understanding of how British senior commanders of the Second World War saw, processed, and articulated their experience. To do so, it examines a range of personal narratives produced by officers who held senior command positions in the British Army in the Second World War. Samuel Hynes argues that all narratives by ordinary soldiers are essentially the same, regardless of era, background, and nationality. This article examines whether Hynes’s main argument regarding a common tale is true also for the general officers. Using their unpublished autobiographies, diaries, letters, interviews, and published memoirs, it examines their service in the Second World War and argues that there is indeed a generals’ tale that provides a better understanding of the operational culture, command mentality, and the sharing of military experience.
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@article{Frost2026Generals,
title = {A Generals’ Tale? The War Memoirs of British General Officers in the Second World War},
author = {Mark Richard Frost},
journal = {International Journal of Military History and Historiography},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1163/24683302-bja10115},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1163/24683302-bja10115}
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