In 1977 Brian Bond, who has died aged 89, published a careful and nuanced analysis of the military thought of Sir Basil Liddell Hart, a dominant figure in British military studies who had died seven years earlier. It was a particular challenge for him.
He owed much to Liddell Hart, who had inspired and encouraged him while he was still a student at Oxford University. They both lived in the village of Medmenham in Buckinghamshire, and Brian had been a regular visitor to Liddell Hart’s house, met his distinguished guests and been given access to his library and papers. Yet while he always acknowledged his debt, and gave due recognition to his mentor’s many attributes, Brian was too good a historian not to be aware of Liddell Hart’s flaws, especially his tendency to force history “to yield the appropriate lessons”.
