Patrick Bury - Mission Improbable: The Transformation of the British Army Reserve

Contents

This book would not have been possible without the assistance and guidance of numerous academics, military personnel and units that gave generously of their time. I am profoundly thankful to Professor Tony King for his close guidance, insightful analysis, and expertise in the development and refinement of the PhD thesis upon which this book is based. Professors Tim Edmunds, Vince Connelly, Caroline Kennedy-Pipe and David Galbreath, and Dr Sergio Catignani gave excellent and detailed feedback on how to improve the text for which I am also very grateful. Thanks also to Dr Alex Neads, Dr Patrick Finnegan, and Dr James I. Rogers for comments on chapters and insights into reserve service. Kirstin Howgate at Howgate Publishing believed in the project and assisted with the editing and production throughout. Similarly, the project would not have been possible without an Economic Social and Research Council studentship kindly awarded to me by the University of Exeter. I would also like to thank the postgraduate team at Exeter for their kind support during the PhD process. I am also indebted to the British Army for allowing access to their soldiers and for funding some of the research. In terms of the participants, I am very grateful to the numerous generals, ministers, and senior officers who gave generously of their time. Most of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the men and women of the Army Reserve, in particular those in RLC and REME units, who participated in the study. This book could not have been written without your experiences and candid insights, so thank you for taking the time to share them.