Jim, there is nothing in Hastings' book that supports your view of incompetent leadership or any of your views.
No historian does, so why do you cling to them?

Sheffield said of British generals, "Some were incompetent. Most were not"
We can all agree that French was, and Hastings does.
He makes no general charge of incompetence against the army he loves.
No support for you Jim.

p551
"In clashes such as those of 1914-18, it was almost inevitable that a vast amount of dying had to be done before a decisive outcome became obtainable. The same was true in 1939-45: much-diminished Western allied losses reflected not better leadership.....but the fact that... the Russians bore the overwhelming burden"