by PeterHart (Author)
In the spring of 1918 the German army launched a series of devastating offensives against the French and British lines on the Western Front. For four months they threw literally everything they had at the Allies, sending them reeling all the way back to the Marne. But despite the most appalling losses, the British did not break, and when the German advance ran out of steam in the summer, the Allies finally turned the tables on them and began the astonishing advance that would bring an end to the war. In a conflict known for its static battles, 1918 provided some of the most dramatic, mobile battles of the century. For the Germans this was the last desperate fling of the dice, much like the Ardennes offensive of December 1944. This book captures the desperation of the ordinary British soldiers, fighting with their backs to the wall as they clung on to their fragile lines. Drawing on the dramatic personal accounts of men who were there - both commanders and ordinary soldiers - Peter Hart brings to life the sheer suspense of waiting for the German attack, the desperate turmoil of the retreat, and the nail-biting turning of the tide which brought an end to the war. As a chronicle of the vast offensives of 1918 it is unparalleled in its scope and depth.
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 560
Edition: First Edition
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Published: 10 Jul 2008
ISBN 10: 0297846523
ISBN 13: 9780297846529
Book Overview: Published to coincide with the 90th Anniversary of the end of WWI Written by the highly acclaimed author of THE SOMME Peter Hart's books are routinely reviewed in the Guardian, the Telegraph, the Daily Mail, BBC History magazine, and all the specialist press As Oral Historian of the Imperial War Museum, Peter Hart has unparalleled access to material never before published