ISBN: 0 297 84702 3 HB 550 pages £25.00
Published by Weindenfeld & Nicholson. Edited by Gary Sheffield &
John Bourne.
No one General has suffered such vilification over the years as Douglas Haig.
In this most recent edited version of his famous, some would say infamous
diaries the reader at last comes to see the man for what he was, a man of
integrity and much maligned by popular culture. For to long the popular view of
Haig has been the much vaunted one of “the Donkey, who led Lions to their
slaughter”.
Gary Sheffield and John Bourne have edited the Haig diaries with care and
understanding. They clearly explain the differences between the written and the
typed manuscripts. Many lesser historians have sought in the past to use the
existence of the two diaries as a way of attacking Haig. Many have said that he
doctored the typed manuscript. If he had, would he not with hindsight have
removed the areas of the diary that made him look inept?
The forty-two page introduction to the diaries should not skipped. In it both
editors spend much time leading the reader through a balanced review of Douglas
Haig’s career in the Great War.
The diaries show the human side of Douglas Haig, a man who realised that if a
war with
One should remember when reading this book that Haig wrote his diary because he
had from the earliest age been encouraged to keep such a journal. He certainly
used the diaries to unburden himself, in doing so he expressed personal views
on fellow officers and politicians that are most certainly heartfelt.
This book is certainly not written to apologise for Haig’s many faults. In it
he can be seen to be unjust and at times callous towards those who he believed
were not pulling their weight. But one should remember that he always held the
firm belief that we would win the war. Time and again he clearly states in the
diary that his only aim is to beat the Germans and to expel them from French
soil.
The format of the book has also been well structured with short biographies to
all those named in the text appearing at the bottom of the relevant page,
rather than in a separate index at the back of the book.
Many critics of Douglas Haig fail to remember some important points, those are
he never sought to defend his reputation after the war, nor did he publish his
memoirs. He had nothing to prove, and he certainly did not produce an
autobiography in the self-congratulatory style of politicians such as Lloyd
George and Winston Churchill.
I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to expand their knowledge and
understanding of Douglas Haig, a General who was not a Donkey!
Reviewer: Martin Hornby
