author
Earl of Ypres John Denton Pinkstone French
1852–1925
A leading British field marshal of the Victorian and First World War eras, he became one of the best-known soldiers in the empire. His career stretched from cavalry service and the Boer War to command of the British Expeditionary Force in the opening phase of World War I.
1 Audiobook
1914
by Earl of Ypres John Denton Pinkstone French
About the author
Born in Kent in 1852, John Denton Pinkstone French briefly served in the Royal Navy before joining the British Army and building his reputation as a cavalry officer. He saw action in imperial campaigns including Sudan and the Second Boer War, where his role in relieving Kimberley helped make him a national figure.
In 1914 he took command of the British Expeditionary Force and led it during the first crucial months of World War I on the Western Front. His time in command was tied to some of the war’s earliest major battles, but disagreements and the strain of the campaign led to his replacement in late 1915.
French later served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and in 1922 was created Earl of Ypres. Remembered as a prominent but debated military leader, he remains an important figure in the story of Britain’s army at the turn of the 20th century.