A short review cannot do justice to the richness, the comprehensiveness, and the scholarly depth of Thomas's work, which will surely serve as a leading text in its area for many years.
War in History
an impressively researched book which manages to marry breadth and nuance, and which ought to be read by scholars of war and imperialism alike.
Army Historical Research
Martin Thomas tells this story in a book that is based in an impressive range of reading. He works hard to give a balanced account.
Richard Vinen, The Times Literary Supplement
His book is a refreshing new take on the end of empire.
Mihir Bose, History Today
Hugely impressive
Literary Review
This is an ambitious book...Few historians these days have the ability to embark on such a wide-ranging comparative study.
Kwasi Kwarteng, The Times
Thomas's account is comprehensive and well researched.
Kwasi Kwarteng, The Times
[An] immensely impressive comparative study.
The Scotsman
This is a skilfully crafted book which draws on material from British, French, and American archives ... It deserves, and will undoubtedly repay, careful study by anyone interested in the post-war histories of the two protagonists. It is an important book that raises big questions and tries to answer them, and we should be grateful that it does.
David French, Diplomacy & Statecraft
[Thomas'] book rises above many others by providing a compelling and comprehensive account of European decolonization. There are few other works that match Fight or Flight in both scope and depth in a single-volume. It is this above all else that commends this book to a wide audience.
Benjamin Grob-Fitzgibbon, History