C. N. Barclay

Brigadier Cyril Nelson Barclay CBE DSO (20 January 1896 – 30 January 1979) was a British soldier, editor, and author. He served with the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in two World Wars, rising to the rank of brigadier, and after retiring from the army in 1946 was editor of The Army Quarterly and Defence Journal from 1950 to 1966, co-editor of Brassey's Annual: The Armed Forces Year Book from 1950 to 1969, and contributed articles to encyclopedias and periodicals.

He wrote a number of regimental and unit histories and other non-fiction books on military subjects such as The New Warfare (1953) which dealt with the emerging Cold War, which he predicted would continue for many years, and addressed topics such as proxy warfare between the eastern and western power blocs.

Reviewers approved of his careful judgements and even-handed approach such as in his account of British military leadership in the early years of the Second World War, On their Shoulders (1964), which used an insider's view to explain some of the possible causes of early British failures. His last books, Battle 1066 (1966) about the Battle of Hastings, and Armistice 1918 (1968) about the end of the First World War, were workmanlike military history books published on the anniversaries of those events.

Early life and family

Cyril Barclay was born in Dartford, Kent, on 20 January 1896, the only son of Edward John Barclay. He was educated at Elstow School, Bedfordshire, and Thanet College, St Peter's, Kent. He married Margaret Roberts in Lucknow, India, in 1934 (died 1976) with whom he had one daughter.

Military career

Barclay was commissioned in the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in January 1916 and served in France and Mesopotamia during the First World War. He also served in the 3rd Afghan War in 1919 and in India in the 1930s.