Who described his troops – the British army - as ‘the scum of the earth’?
History of the British Army prompted changes to the terms of service and outlook of many soldiers. Nevertheless, it retained many features inherited from the Duke of Wellington's army, and since its prime function was to maintain the expanding British Empire, it differed in many ways from the conscripted armies of continental Europe. For example, it did not undertake large-scale manoeuvres. Indeed, the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853 involving 7,000 troops were the first such manoeuvres since the Napoleonic Wars. The British Army during World War I could trace its origins to the increasing demands of imperial expansion together with inefficiencies highlighted during the Crimean War,
Scum of the Earth (book) Koestler immediately enlisted in the British Army. Over the following three months, while waiting for his call-up papers and army posting, he wrote "Scum of the Earth." The book was well received and had glowing reviews. This was the first book that Koestler wrote in English. In the Preface to the 1955 edition, after explaining the circumstances under which the book was written, he acknowledges the book’s shortcomings: "Scum" earned several positive reviews: “A memorable story, vivid, powerful and deeply searching” – "The Times Literary Supplement" “This is a book in a thousand, by far the best book to come