THE FIRST BATTLE OF THE MARNE

In the newest of the Great Battle Series edited by Hanson Baldwin, the story of the historic September fight for Paris is told with clarity and incisiveness. First, the historical hostility of Germany toward the entente of England, Russia and France is examined briefly to set the stage. Military forces on both sides---with much attention paid to comparative strength and weakness---occupies the next section of the book. Then, under Generals Moltke and Schlieffen the Kaiser's great attack is launched through Belgian and toward France itself. The French Army, still smarting from the 1870 defeat from the Germans, takes the field under Marshal Joffre. Britain's forces under Sir John French come to his assistance. From then on, the story vividly deals with staff bickerings, with gruesome battle scenes, with the early failure and then final French determination to save Paris after the Germans are within shell range. A very fair, objective, and highly readable account of the 5 day fight which sent the War into a 4 year stalemate.