129:, each waiting for the other to attack, of the sort then common and being reported on daily from the Boer War. The men on the war correspondent's side are confident they will prevail, because they are all strong outdoor-types – men who know how to use a rifle and fight – while their enemies are townspeople, "a crowd of devitalised townsmen . . . They're clerks, they're factory hands, they're students, they're civilised men. They can write, they can talk, they can make and do all sorts of things, but they're poor amateurs at war." The men agree that their "open air life" produces men better suited to war than their opponents' "decent civilization."
137:
going to write about the experience. He notes that that the captured officers are thinking of ways they will defeat tanks with their already-existing weaponry, rather than developing their own land ironclads to counter the new threat. He further notes that the "half-dozen comparatively slender young men in blue pajamas who were standing about their victorious land ironclad, drinking coffee and eating biscuits, had also in their eyes and carriage something not altogether degraded below the level of a man."
53:
258:
477:
184:
which also featured a struggle between technologically uneven protagonists. But the story served to contribute to Wells' growing reputation as a "prophet of the future", something that many early socialists and newspaper editors were keen to promote., especially when real tanks first appeared on the
157:
wheels, each about ten feet in diameter, each a driving wheel and set upon long axles free to swivel around a common axis. the captain had look-out points at small ports all round the upper edge of the adjustable skirt of twelve-inch ironplating which protected the whole affair, and could also
136:
The story ends with the entire contemporary army captured by thirteen land ironclads, with the defenders managing to disable only one. In the last scene, the correspondent compares his countrymen's "sturdy proportions with those of their lightly built captors", and thinks of the press story he is
132:
In the end, however, the "decent civilization," with its men of science and engineers, triumphs over the "better soldiers" who, instead of developing land ironclads of their own, had been practising shooting their rifles from horseback, a tactic rendered obsolete by the land ironclads. Wells
480:
228:
The idea was suggested to me by the contrivances of a certain Mr. Diplock, whose "ped-rail" notion, the notion of a wheel that was something more than a wheel, a wheel that would take locomotives up hill-sides and across ploughed fields, was public property nearly twenty years
153:, and which featured many 'land ironclads' often with different designs each week. Wells' land ironclads are similar to these, described as steam powered and are "essentially long, narrow, and very strong steel frameworks carrying the engines, and borne on eight pairs of big
149:" was coined in the mid-19th century for steam-propelled ocean warships protected by iron or steel armour plates. By the time of Wells' story the notion became a commonplace of boys' literature in the U.S., in popular weekly series such as that published by
124:
The story opens with an unnamed war correspondent and a young lieutenant surveying the calm of the battlefield. They reflect philosophically on the war between two unidentified armies. The time appears to be 1903 and the opponents are dug into
133:
foreshadows this eventual outcome in the conversation of the two men in the first part, when the correspondent tells the lieutenant "Civilization has science, you know, it invented and it made the rifles and guns and things you use."
165:
Riflemen are installed in cabins in the "monsters", being "slung along the sides of and behind and before the great main framework". There the men operate what appear to be mechanically targeting, semi-automatic rifles.
233:
Indeed, within the story itself the war correspondent, upon his first sight of the machine's pedrails, recalls hearing about them from
Diplock in person on a previous journalistic assignment.
1584:
1152:
1075:
1370:
631:
1205:
1398:
1173:
1131:
174:
Contemporaries saw Wells' battle between countrymen "defenders" (who rely on cavalry and entrenched infantry) and attacking townsmen as echoing the
1226:
1564:
1569:
518:
362:
1321:
1219:
847:
1138:
428:
1089:
998:
1487:
1096:
719:
1505:
1082:
799:
791:
1212:
1068:
927:
831:
823:
1579:
1419:
767:
727:
1574:
1541:
1433:
1005:
991:
871:
855:
567:
1356:
951:
1405:
1240:
1166:
935:
1447:
615:
511:
109:
1520:
1454:
1440:
1293:
1265:
977:
759:
655:
536:
396:
236:
According to one biographer, Wells initially had the idea for land ironclads using "pedrails" from an inventor
299:
1363:
1233:
687:
1110:
1040:
903:
863:
240:, who spoke of "big fat pedrail machines" in a letter to Wells. Dunne later also influenced Wells's novel
21:
1515:
1328:
1279:
1187:
1117:
1061:
1033:
1019:
943:
591:
213:
180:
381:
noted that Wells's reputation as a prophet was "one of the legends sustained by the newspaper world" –
1535:
1461:
1145:
919:
775:
607:
575:
504:
113:
188:
Wells's story did predict the use of armoured vehicles in combat, but numerous authors (for example
1530:
1377:
1307:
1124:
1103:
703:
559:
1391:
1335:
1272:
1159:
1047:
911:
879:
735:
695:
663:
599:
277:
242:
1258:
52:
1384:
1314:
839:
815:
583:
424:
358:
197:
418:
887:
711:
551:
460:
1426:
1412:
1300:
1012:
647:
464:
104:
81:
17:
16:
This article is about the 1903 story by H.G. Wells. For the type of military vehicle, see
1479:
783:
126:
62:
1558:
970:
895:
807:
378:
263:
217:
189:
159:
1342:
751:
679:
623:
469:
1525:
1510:
1180:
1054:
1026:
984:
671:
527:
237:
150:
108:. It features tank-like "land ironclads," 80-to-100-foot-long (24 to 30 m)
99:
44:
40:
257:
253:
491:
1286:
486:
271:
175:
146:
58:
154:
743:
200:
on a tank and did so before the tank's invention. This is incorrect.
162:
set above the port-holes through the centre of the iron top cover."
355:
Insect
Nations – Visions of the Ant World from Kropotkin to Bergson
639:
112:
that carry riflemen, engineers, and a captain, and are armed with
220:
as the origin for his idea of an all-terrain armoured vehicle in
500:
496:
102:, which originally appeared in the December 1903 issue of the
178:, as well as being something of a re-tread of his 1898 novel
57:
1904 illustration of the short story, showing huge ironclad
377:
In the first biography of Wells published after his death,
447:(New York: Simon and Schuster, 1973), pp. 222 & 432.
196:) have mistakenly stated that he also described modern
1153:
Travels of a
Republican Radical in Search of Hot Water
1498:
1471:
1250:
1197:
962:
543:
87:
77:
69:
34:
1585:Works originally published in The Strand Magazine
226:
1076:Mr. Belloc Objects to "The Outline of History"
385:(London: Longsmans, Green, 1951), pp. 235–36).
212:(1917), H. G. Wells specifically acknowledges
632:The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth
512:
8:
1206:The Country of the Blind and Other Stories
519:
505:
497:
51:
1174:The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind
461:The complete short fiction of H. G. Wells
412:
410:
343:(London: Ernest Benn, 1927), pp. 131–32.
1399:The Queer Story of Brownlow's Newspaper
1227:The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents
323:
321:
319:
317:
290:
492:H.G. Wells's Land Ironclad paper model
31:
339:H.G. Wells, "The Land Ironclads," in
98:" is a short story by British writer
7:
185:battlefield 12 years later in 1916.
1220:Select Conversations with an Uncle
848:Mr. Blettsworthy on Rampole Island
14:
1139:The Story of a Great Schoolmaster
999:An Englishman Looks at the World
475:
256:
1488:The Man Who Could Work Miracles
1371:The Man Who Could Work Miracles
423:. Cassel & Co. p. 93.
395:Budrys, Algis (December 1968).
341:The Short Stories of H.G. Wells
800:The Secret Places of the Heart
357:. InkerMen Press. p. 46.
29:Short story by H. G. Wells
1:
1565:Science fiction short stories
1213:The Plattner Story and Others
1069:Mind at the End of Its Tether
832:The World of William Clissold
443:Norman and Jeanne Mackenzie,
1570:Short stories by H. G. Wells
1526:Simon Wells (great-grandson)
1132:A Short History of the World
768:Mr. Britling Sees It Through
728:The Wife of Sir Isaac Harman
1434:A Story of the Days to Come
1006:Experiment in Autobiography
992:The Discovery of the Future
872:The Shape of Things to Come
856:The Autocracy of Mr. Parham
568:The Island of Doctor Moreau
485:public domain audiobook at
194:Science Fiction by Gaslight
1601:
1241:Twelve Stories and a Dream
1167:The Way the World Is Going
936:Babes in the Darkling Wood
824:Christina Alberta's Father
110:armoured fighting vehicles
15:
1448:Triumphs of a Taxidermist
616:The First Men in the Moon
534:
50:
39:
1455:The Truth About Pyecraft
1441:A Story of the Stone Age
1357:Mr. Ledbetter's Vacation
1294:The Country of the Blind
1266:The Argonauts of the Air
978:Certain Personal Matters
952:You Can't Be Too Careful
760:The Research Magnificent
656:In the Days of the Comet
1364:The Lord of the Dynamos
1234:Tales of Space and Time
688:The History of Mr Polly
445:H.G. Wells: A Biography
383:H.G. Wells: A Biography
1336:The Empire of the Ants
1111:The Outline of History
1041:God the Invisible King
904:The Camford Visitation
864:The Bulpington of Blup
720:The Passionate Friends
600:When the Sleeper Wakes
401:Galaxy Science Fiction
231:
22:armored combat vehicle
1521:Joseph Wells (father)
1329:A Dream of Armageddon
1280:The Chronic Argonauts
1188:A Year of Prophesying
1118:Russia in the Shadows
1062:Mankind in the Making
1034:The Future in America
1020:First and Last Things
944:All Aboard for Ararat
592:The War of the Worlds
181:The War of the Worlds
114:semi-automatic rifles
1462:A Vision of Judgment
1322:The Door in the Wall
1146:This Misery of Boots
776:The Soul of a Bishop
608:Love and Mr Lewisham
576:The Wheels of Chance
470:"The Land Ironclads"
417:Wells, H.G. (1917).
353:King, Simon (2007).
300:"The Land Ironclads"
298:Wells, H.G. (1903).
35:"The Land Ironclads"
1580:Fiction about tanks
1531:H. G. Wells Society
1378:The New Accelerator
1308:A Deal in Ostriches
1125:The Science of Life
1104:The Open Conspiracy
1090:The New World Order
704:The New Machiavelli
560:The Wonderful Visit
472:(reproduced online)
403:. pp. 149–155.
330:, H. G. Wells, 1909
304:The Strand Magazine
158:raise or depress a
1575:1903 short stories
1516:Anthony West (son)
1392:The Plattner Story
1350:The Land Ironclads
1273:The Beautiful Suit
1160:War and the Future
1097:New Worlds for Old
1048:In the Fourth Year
912:Apropos of Dolores
880:The Croquet Player
736:The World Set Free
696:The Sleeper Awakes
664:The War in the Air
482:The Land Ironclads
420:War and the Future
397:"Galaxy Bookshelf"
328:The Land Ironclads
278:The Land Leviathan
243:The War in the Air
222:The Land Ironclads
210:War and the Future
198:caterpillar treads
96:The Land Ironclads
1552:
1551:
1385:The Pearl of Love
1315:The Diamond Maker
584:The Invisible Man
364:978-0-9551829-7-6
92:
91:
1592:
792:The Undying Fire
552:The Time Machine
521:
514:
507:
498:
479:
478:
448:
441:
435:
434:
414:
405:
404:
392:
386:
375:
369:
368:
350:
344:
337:
331:
325:
312:
311:
295:
266:
261:
260:
61:, equipped with
55:
32:
1600:
1599:
1595:
1594:
1593:
1591:
1590:
1589:
1555:
1554:
1553:
1548:
1542:Time After Time
1506:Political views
1494:
1467:
1427:The Stolen Body
1413:The Sea Raiders
1301:The Crystal Egg
1259:Æpyornis Island
1246:
1193:
1083:The New America
1013:The Fate of Man
958:
928:The Holy Terror
648:A Modern Utopia
539:
530:
525:
476:
465:Standard Ebooks
457:
452:
451:
442:
438:
431:
416:
415:
408:
394:
393:
389:
376:
372:
365:
352:
351:
347:
338:
334:
326:
315:
310:(156): 751–769.
297:
296:
292:
287:
262:
255:
252:
206:
172:
143:
122:
105:Strand Magazine
82:Science fiction
65:
30:
25:
18:land battleship
12:
11:
5:
1598:
1596:
1588:
1587:
1582:
1577:
1572:
1567:
1557:
1556:
1550:
1549:
1547:
1546:
1538:
1533:
1528:
1523:
1518:
1513:
1508:
1502:
1500:
1496:
1495:
1493:
1492:
1484:
1480:Things to Come
1475:
1473:
1469:
1468:
1466:
1465:
1458:
1451:
1444:
1437:
1430:
1423:
1416:
1409:
1402:
1395:
1388:
1381:
1374:
1367:
1360:
1353:
1346:
1339:
1332:
1325:
1318:
1311:
1304:
1297:
1290:
1283:
1276:
1269:
1262:
1254:
1252:
1248:
1247:
1245:
1244:
1237:
1230:
1223:
1216:
1209:
1201:
1199:
1195:
1194:
1192:
1191:
1184:
1177:
1170:
1163:
1156:
1149:
1142:
1135:
1128:
1121:
1114:
1107:
1100:
1093:
1086:
1079:
1072:
1065:
1058:
1051:
1044:
1037:
1030:
1023:
1016:
1009:
1002:
995:
988:
981:
974:
966:
964:
960:
959:
957:
956:
948:
940:
932:
924:
916:
908:
900:
892:
884:
876:
868:
860:
852:
844:
836:
828:
820:
812:
804:
796:
788:
784:Joan and Peter
780:
772:
764:
756:
748:
740:
732:
724:
716:
708:
700:
692:
684:
676:
668:
660:
652:
644:
636:
628:
620:
612:
604:
596:
588:
580:
572:
564:
556:
547:
545:
541:
540:
535:
532:
531:
526:
524:
523:
516:
509:
501:
495:
494:
489:
473:
467:
456:
455:External links
453:
450:
449:
436:
429:
406:
387:
370:
363:
345:
332:
313:
289:
288:
286:
283:
282:
281:
274:
268:
267:
251:
248:
214:Bramah Diplock
205:
202:
171:
168:
142:
139:
121:
118:
90:
89:
85:
84:
79:
75:
74:
73:United Kingdom
71:
67:
66:
63:pedrail wheels
56:
48:
47:
37:
36:
28:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1597:
1586:
1583:
1581:
1578:
1576:
1573:
1571:
1568:
1566:
1563:
1562:
1560:
1544:
1543:
1539:
1537:
1534:
1532:
1529:
1527:
1524:
1522:
1519:
1517:
1514:
1512:
1509:
1507:
1504:
1503:
1501:
1497:
1490:
1489:
1485:
1482:
1481:
1477:
1476:
1474:
1470:
1463:
1459:
1456:
1452:
1449:
1445:
1442:
1438:
1435:
1431:
1428:
1424:
1421:
1417:
1414:
1410:
1407:
1403:
1400:
1396:
1393:
1389:
1386:
1382:
1379:
1375:
1372:
1368:
1365:
1361:
1358:
1354:
1351:
1347:
1344:
1340:
1337:
1333:
1330:
1326:
1323:
1319:
1316:
1312:
1309:
1305:
1302:
1298:
1295:
1291:
1288:
1284:
1281:
1277:
1274:
1270:
1267:
1263:
1260:
1256:
1255:
1253:
1251:Short stories
1249:
1243:
1242:
1238:
1236:
1235:
1231:
1229:
1228:
1224:
1222:
1221:
1217:
1215:
1214:
1210:
1208:
1207:
1203:
1202:
1200:
1196:
1190:
1189:
1185:
1183:
1182:
1178:
1176:
1175:
1171:
1169:
1168:
1164:
1162:
1161:
1157:
1155:
1154:
1150:
1148:
1147:
1143:
1141:
1140:
1136:
1134:
1133:
1129:
1127:
1126:
1122:
1120:
1119:
1115:
1113:
1112:
1108:
1106:
1105:
1101:
1099:
1098:
1094:
1092:
1091:
1087:
1085:
1084:
1080:
1078:
1077:
1073:
1071:
1070:
1066:
1064:
1063:
1059:
1057:
1056:
1052:
1050:
1049:
1045:
1043:
1042:
1038:
1036:
1035:
1031:
1029:
1028:
1024:
1022:
1021:
1017:
1015:
1014:
1010:
1008:
1007:
1003:
1001:
1000:
996:
994:
993:
989:
987:
986:
982:
980:
979:
975:
973:
972:
971:Anticipations
968:
967:
965:
961:
954:
953:
949:
946:
945:
941:
938:
937:
933:
930:
929:
925:
922:
921:
917:
914:
913:
909:
906:
905:
901:
898:
897:
896:Star Begotten
893:
890:
889:
885:
882:
881:
877:
874:
873:
869:
866:
865:
861:
858:
857:
853:
850:
849:
845:
842:
841:
837:
834:
833:
829:
826:
825:
821:
818:
817:
813:
810:
809:
808:Men Like Gods
805:
802:
801:
797:
794:
793:
789:
786:
785:
781:
778:
777:
773:
770:
769:
765:
762:
761:
757:
754:
753:
749:
746:
745:
741:
738:
737:
733:
730:
729:
725:
722:
721:
717:
714:
713:
709:
706:
705:
701:
698:
697:
693:
690:
689:
685:
682:
681:
677:
674:
673:
669:
666:
665:
661:
658:
657:
653:
650:
649:
645:
642:
641:
637:
634:
633:
629:
626:
625:
621:
618:
617:
613:
610:
609:
605:
602:
601:
597:
594:
593:
589:
586:
585:
581:
578:
577:
573:
570:
569:
565:
562:
561:
557:
554:
553:
549:
548:
546:
542:
538:
533:
529:
522:
517:
515:
510:
508:
503:
502:
499:
493:
490:
488:
484:
483:
474:
471:
468:
466:
462:
459:
458:
454:
446:
440:
437:
432:
430:9780497970789
426:
422:
421:
413:
411:
407:
402:
398:
391:
388:
384:
380:
379:Vincent Brome
374:
371:
366:
360:
356:
349:
346:
342:
336:
333:
329:
324:
322:
320:
318:
314:
309:
305:
301:
294:
291:
284:
280:
279:
275:
273:
270:
269:
265:
264:Novels portal
259:
254:
249:
247:
245:
244:
239:
234:
230:
225:
223:
219:
218:pedrail wheel
215:
211:
208:In his later
203:
201:
199:
195:
191:
190:Sam Moskowitz
186:
183:
182:
177:
169:
167:
163:
161:
160:conning-tower
156:
152:
148:
141:The Ironclads
140:
138:
134:
130:
128:
119:
117:
115:
111:
107:
106:
101:
97:
86:
83:
80:
76:
72:
68:
64:
60:
54:
49:
46:
42:
38:
33:
27:
23:
19:
1540:
1536:Lunar crater
1486:
1478:
1406:The Red Room
1349:
1343:In the Abyss
1239:
1232:
1225:
1218:
1211:
1204:
1186:
1179:
1172:
1165:
1158:
1151:
1144:
1137:
1130:
1123:
1116:
1109:
1102:
1095:
1088:
1081:
1074:
1067:
1060:
1053:
1046:
1039:
1032:
1025:
1018:
1011:
1004:
997:
990:
983:
976:
969:
950:
942:
934:
926:
920:The Brothers
918:
910:
902:
894:
886:
878:
870:
862:
854:
846:
838:
830:
822:
814:
806:
798:
790:
782:
774:
766:
758:
750:
742:
734:
726:
718:
710:
702:
694:
686:
680:Ann Veronica
678:
670:
662:
654:
646:
638:
630:
624:The Sea Lady
622:
614:
606:
598:
590:
582:
574:
566:
558:
550:
537:Bibliography
481:
444:
439:
419:
400:
390:
382:
373:
354:
348:
340:
335:
327:
307:
303:
293:
276:
241:
235:
232:
227:
221:
209:
207:
193:
187:
179:
173:
164:
144:
135:
131:
123:
120:Plot summary
103:
95:
93:
59:land vessels
26:
1545:(1979 film)
1511:G. P. Wells
1472:Screenplays
1198:Collections
1181:World Brain
1055:Little Wars
1027:Floor Games
985:Crux Ansata
672:Tono-Bungay
528:H. G. Wells
238:J. W. Dunne
204:Inspiration
151:Frank Reade
100:H. G. Wells
88:Publication
45:H. G. Wells
41:Short story
1559:Categories
963:Nonfiction
285:References
145:The term "
840:Meanwhile
816:The Dream
1420:The Star
1287:The Cone
888:Brynhild
712:Marriage
487:LibriVox
272:Landship
250:See also
246:(1908).
176:Boer War
147:ironclad
127:trenches
78:Genre(s)
1499:Related
155:pedrail
70:Country
1491:(1937)
1483:(1936)
955:(1941)
947:(1940)
939:(1940)
931:(1939)
923:(1938)
915:(1938)
907:(1937)
899:(1937)
891:(1937)
883:(1936)
875:(1933)
867:(1932)
859:(1930)
851:(1928)
843:(1927)
835:(1926)
827:(1925)
819:(1924)
811:(1923)
803:(1922)
795:(1919)
787:(1918)
779:(1917)
771:(1916)
763:(1915)
755:(1915)
747:(1915)
744:Bealby
739:(1914)
731:(1914)
723:(1913)
715:(1912)
707:(1911)
699:(1910)
691:(1910)
683:(1909)
675:(1909)
667:(1908)
659:(1906)
651:(1905)
643:(1905)
635:(1904)
627:(1902)
619:(1901)
611:(1900)
603:(1899)
595:(1898)
587:(1897)
579:(1896)
571:(1896)
563:(1895)
555:(1895)
544:Novels
427:
361:
170:Impact
640:Kipps
752:Boon
425:ISBN
359:ISBN
229:ago.
20:and
463:at
216:'s
192:in
43:by
1561::
409:^
399:.
316:^
308:23
306:.
302:.
224::
116:.
1464:"
1460:"
1457:"
1453:"
1450:"
1446:"
1443:"
1439:"
1436:"
1432:"
1429:"
1425:"
1422:"
1418:"
1415:"
1411:"
1408:"
1404:"
1401:"
1397:"
1394:"
1390:"
1387:"
1383:"
1380:"
1376:"
1373:"
1369:"
1366:"
1362:"
1359:"
1355:"
1352:"
1348:"
1345:"
1341:"
1338:"
1334:"
1331:"
1327:"
1324:"
1320:"
1317:"
1313:"
1310:"
1306:"
1303:"
1299:"
1296:"
1292:"
1289:"
1285:"
1282:"
1278:"
1275:"
1271:"
1268:"
1264:"
1261:"
1257:"
520:e
513:t
506:v
433:.
367:.
94:"
24:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
