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Soldiers of the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot

Soldiers of the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot, 1855, photograph by Roger Fenton (National Army Museum)

In the hope of spreading knowledge of new favourites and proven classics from the world of military publishing, The Society for Army Historical Research periodically ask a number of military historians from various backgrounds for their book recommendations. The results of these requests are published below.

Annual Booklist 2023

The SAHR has once again collated book recommendations from leading historians, including Templer prize-winning authors, to provide members with holiday gift and reading ideas. Each historian lists five favourite books on the history of the British army and related forces, in addition to a volume that doesn’t yet exist but should.

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Annual Booklist 2022

The SAHR is pleased to share the latest edition of our annual Christmas book list. The aim remains the same - to provide members with some holiday gift and reading ideas and, in so doing, to promote the dissemination of high-quality scholarship. We've gathered entries from notable historians, including Templer prize-winners and shortlisted authors. Each provides five favourite books on the history of the British army and related forces, plus one suggestion of a book that doesn’t exist but should.

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Annual Booklist 2021

With long winter nights setting in, there’s plenty of time for reading in the months ahead so, as is now traditional, we offer the SAHR annual booklist with a selection of recommendations from a selection of scholars, enthusiasts, and soldiers including the winners of some of our recent prizes and some of the speakers from our series of Centenary talks and conferences. If you are looking to treat yourself, drop hints ahead of the gift-buying season, or find a present for the military historian in your life, there should hopefully be something here for you.

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Annual Booklist 2020

It's that time of year again when we launch our annual booklist recommendations. It's normally timed for the run-up to Christmas so that you can plan your present requests, but with people having a lot more time for reading just now, you could always be inspired to give yourself a lockdown treat instead. As ever, a variety of figures from the world of military history offer their five favourite books on the British Army, plus one suggestion for a book that deserves to be written.

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Annual Booklist 2019

In what is rapidly becoming a pre-Christmas tradition, we offer you our annual booklist. Once again, a selection of figures from the world of military history were asked to recommend their top five books on the British Army as well as to suggest an idea for a book that ought to be written but does not yet exist. We hope you find inspiration for your own reading, your Christmas gift buying, or your future research.

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Annual Booklist 2018

For this year's booklist, we've stuck with the successful approach of the last two years and asked our contributors - a mixture of soldiers, scholars, and members of the SAHR Council, to recommend their five favourite books on the British Army as well as to suggest an idea for a book that doesn't exist but deserves to be written.

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Annual Booklist 2017

As with last year's list, the brief was for our contributors to list their five best or favourite books on the British Army, along with a suggestion for a new book which ought to exist but has yet to be written.

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Annual Booklist 2016

The brief was for five favourite books on the British Army (including Imperial, Dominion, and Commonwealth forces). At the suggestion of our most recent Templer Medal winner, Dr Rory Muir, contributors were also asked to suggest one topic for a book that does not exist but ought to be written: it is hoped that there may be someone amongst the recipients of this list who will take up the challenge and help fill some of the remaining gaps in the existing scholarship.

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