The Biography and Diary of One of the British Empire's Most Accomplished - and Controversial - Generals Sir Henry Wilson (1864-1922) was a key figure in the preparation of the British Empire for the First World War. A Protestant Irishman who was as comfortable dealing with politicians as he was soldiers, he was a key figure in the creation of the British Expeditionary Force and its preparations to fight alongside the French in a European conflict. He was also mistrusted by his peers as being more politician than soldier, and the first Field-Marshal - and the last political leader - to be assassinated in Great Britain. Covering his youth to mid-1917, this first volume looks at Wilson's early years in the British Army, his preparations as the Director of Military Operations, and his work with the General Staff on the Western Front. Charles Edward Callwell (1859-1928) was a staff officer and one of Britain's most influential writers on military affairs.