The story of Britain's provost forces necessarily focuses attention on some of the less glorious episodes of British Army history. Had every British soldier over the centuries been an obedient and dutiful soul, there would have been no need for provost of military police. Sadly, armies – particularly in time of war – have always been home for the criminal, and the British Army has had its share of thieves and cut-throats, as well as its drunken and licentious element. How these were contained, or dealt with, is the main subject of this book. The men who tamed the lawless are its subject.