The military in British India : the development of British land forces in South Asia, 1600-1947 /

The third installment in the "Manchester History of the British Army" is a welcome companion to Edward Spier's The Late Victorian Army, 1868-1902 (CH, Dec'92) and I.F.W. Beckett's The Amateur Military Tradition: 1558-1945 (1991). Heathcote blends the abundant secondary literature with in-depth coverage of the primary sources, especially for the postmutiny era, to present a fascinating overview of the development of the Indian army from the days of the East India Company to the end of the Raj. Of particular interest is his analysis of the ongoing controversy between the regular British army and the Indian government over the role and composition of the Indian army. Heathcote avoids a strictly Eurocentric perspective to provide a contextual analysis based on the imperial conditions that influenced the development and impact of the British military presence in India. Because this is not a blow-by-blow account of the numerous campaigns fought by the Indian army, it will be of particular use to specialists or graduate students who need to identify the major issues facing the British-Indian army. Usually well written with occasional editorial lapses. F. Krome; Northern Kentucky University