This work examines the evolution of the British Expeditionary Force's (BEF's) logistic and administrative infrastructure in France and its impact on operations. In so doing, it challenges the popular notion of British generals as bungling incompetents by analyzing an all too often ignored, but crucial, facet of military campaigns. While the BEF may be found wanting in some areas, administration was not one of them. The British generals proved themselves to be thoroughly modern professional officers in the manner in which they solved the ongoing crises that attended the explosive growth of the BEF and its artillery-intensive style of warfare. This study reinvigorates the debate about World War I by examining the understudied field of logistics.

Ian Malcolm Brown completed undergraduate and Master's degrees in History at the University of Calgary and holds a PhD in War Studies from King's College London. He is employed in the refractory industry as a Database Coordinator and currently resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.