THE WESTERN FRONT 1914-1918

by John Terraine ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 12, 1965

This is a series of essays about the Western Front in France and is linked together by the central question: Was the Front necessary? Not merely military questions are relevant to the author's last and brilliant answer. For instance, there is the psychology of the men themselves on both sides. They went to fight with their hearts ringing, amid songs and banners. As horror mounted, the governments back home suppressed the grotesquely incredible casualty lists issuing from the Front, to coddle and delude civilians back home. Soldiers on leave from trench warfare were actually glad to return to the Front and bracing reality. Discussing casualties, the author points out that during great stalemates such as the Western Front, or the American Confederacy against the Union, casualty percentages always stay at roughly 30%. His essays cover the failure of the involved governments to grasp the broad structure of the War; the battles of Guise, Passchendaele (rhymes with hell) and Amiens; the leadership of Lloyd George and Field Marshal Haig; and the myth of Napoleonic strategy. The Front was necessary, for victory depended on halting, then defeating, the German Army. An excellently condensed study.

Pub Date: May 12, 1965

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Lippincott

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1965

Categories: NONFICTION