Battleground Books: WWI

These three Battleground Europe books on Ypres 1914 mark the centenary of the final major battle of the 1914 campaign on the Western Front. Although fought over a relatively small area and short time span, the fighting was even more than usually chaotic and the stakes were extremely high. Authors Nigel Cave and Jack Sheldon combine their respective expertise to tell the story of the men British, French, Indian and German - who fought over the unremarkable undulating ground that was to become firmly placed in British national conscience ever afterwards. When, in October 1914, the newly created German Fourth Army attacked west to seize crossings over the Yser, prior to sweeping south in an attempt to surround the BEF, two things prevented it. To the north, it was the efforts of the Belgian army, reinforced by French troops, coupled with controlled flooding of the polders but, further south, the truly heroic defence of Langemarck, for three days by the BEF and then by the French army, was of decisive importance. The village stood as a bulwark against any further advance to the river or the town of Ypres. Here the German regiments bled to death in the face of resolute Allied defence and any remaining hope of forcing a decision in the west turned to dust.

The tiny French hamlet of Serre is the subject of this guide. It covers four battles for the high ground upon which Serre is situated: June 1915: July 1916: November 1916 and July and August 1918.

In 1942, with the outcome of the war very much in the balance, there was a pressing need for military success on mainland Europe. Churchill ordered Admiral Lord Mountbatten's Combined Operations HQ to take the war to the Germans. The Canadians were selected for the Dieppe raid, which, while a morale raiser, was a disaster. Over 3,000 men were lost. This authoritative account looks at the planning, execution and analyses the reasons for failure.

The Battleground Europe series has helped create a new audience for the story of the desperate battles of World War I, But up to now the series has largely been concerned with the ground war. Popular demand has inspired the editors to create a new series of guides to the air war 1914–1918. The first volume is devoted to the Ypres Salient, the northernmost sector of the Western Front. Here the Royal Flying Corps battled the German Imperial Air Service for supremacy over the battlefield, while the Royal Naval Air Service attempted to intercept Germany's Zeppelins and early long-range bombers before they could reach the skies over London.The airfields, battle and crash sites, and monuments associated with the air war in the Ypres sector are covered with all the then-and now detail expected by battleground Europe readers. The dramatic text is backed up with numerous maps, photographs and an extensive bibliography.

The latest volume in the Airfields and Airmen series covers the Arras area. It includes a visit to the grave of Albert Ball VC and the graves of Waterfall and Bayly, the first British fliers killed in action. There is a visit to the aerodrome from which Alan McLeod took off from to earn his VC and to the grave of Viscount Glentworth, killed while flying with 32 Squadron. The German side is well covered with visits to their cemeteries and aerodromes. This well researched book relives the deadly thrills of war in the air over the battlefields of the Western Front.

The Americans had considerable initial success when they launched their huge offensive against the Germans in the Meuse-Argonne in the last days of September 1918. However, not everything went smoothly and the attack became bogged down, held up by the several lines of the Hindenburg System and logistical challenges. A major additional obstacle was the presence of batteries of German artillery on the high ground on the right bank of the Meuse, almost untroubled by any significant assaults by the allied forces. These guns created severe problems for the American commanders and their troops. Eventually sufficient resources were allocated for an American-French attack on the right bank, with the aim of removing the German artillery and pushing the Germans off the Meuse Heights, part of the renewed offensive on the Left Bank and the Argonne Forest. The action often took place over ground that had already seen ferocious fighting during the Battle of Verdun in 1916 and the French offensive of late summer 1917. It also involved the very difficult achievement of getting large bodies of troops over the River Meuse and its associated canal. The terrain is rugged and, even then, quite heavily wooded. The American and French troops often had to fight uphill and in the face of German defences that had been developed over the previous twelve months. On the other hand, the quality of the defending troops was not high, as Germany faced so much pressure in other sectors, and included a significant number of Austro-Hungarian troops. Popular opinion tends to be dismissive of the fighting quality of these Austrian troops who, in fact, performed well. The tours take the visitor over some beautiful countryside, with stunning views over the Meuse and the Woevre Plain. There are significant vestiges of the war still to be seen, including numerous observation bunkers and shelters as well as trenches. An unusual feature of the area are the traces of part of the Maginot Line, notably bunkers (some of which are very large) and the rail infrastructure to support it, sometimes making use of lines that the Germans built during the First World War. One of these tours follows the fate of Henry Gunther, officially the last American soldier to be killed in action in the Great War. There is substantial myth about Gunther, the facts surrounding his death are examined, as well as placing his last action on the ground. There is a tour dedicated just to him.

A battlefield guide to the scene of an Austro-Hungarian attack on the British Corps sector of the Allied front line on the Asiago Plateau, forty miles north of Venice in Northern Italy, on 15/16 June 1918. This comprehensive and attractive guidebook describes the terrain, the forces involved and the fighting, including the action leading to the award of two Vcs.

This is the latest book in the Battleground Europe series focusing on the Somme sector. Full of stories of both endeavor and heartbreak, it deals with action around the Triple Tambour Mine Craters, Bois Francais, Mansell Copse, Danzig Alley and the approaches to Mametz Wood.

Beaucourt is one of the last parts of the Battle of the Somme still to be covered, until now, by the splendid Battleground Europe Series. It was also one of the last actions of the Battle of the Somme, 1916. The eventual capture of Beaucourt along with Beaumont Hamel forced the Germans to retreat to their new defensive position known as the Hindenburg Line. The Battle of Beaucourt was also known as the Gough Offensive, led by General Gough, with a large proportion of the troops involved being from the Royal Naval Division. Indeed, Beaucourt is where Bernard Freyberg of that division won his Victoria Cross. Following the usual Battleground style, readers are taken on a voyage of discovery through the village of Beaucourt and along the banks of the Ancre in the direction of Cambrai.

The fighting on Redan Ridge in 1916 has long been overshadowed by events on each flank, namely Serre on the left and Beaumont Hamel on the right. On 1 July 1916 the sector was occupied by the 4th Division, made up of some of the veteran regular battalions, the 'Old Contemptibles', although few of the original members had survived thus far. It was mainly Territorials and' new army' men who fought here. A special feature includes little known accounts of events at the Quadrilateral on that fateful day. The November battles involve the 2nd Division and the 32nd Division and include the struggle across the mud to Beaumont trench, Frankfurt and Munich trenches. Biographical details of some of the famous men who took part, such as H H Munroe, the author 'Saki' and A A Milne, creator and author of Winnie the Pooh, are also included.

Gallipoli tells of the disastrous campaign at Gallipoli in 1915 when the allies failed to knock Turkey out of the war. With then and now photographs the book provides detailed historical descriptions of the area and the events, all of which will appeal to the armchair historian and the intrepid visitor to the sites. It will prove an indispensable companion.