by IanF.W.Beckett (Author)
In the first study of First Ypres for almost 40 years, Ian Beckett draws on a wide range of sources never previously used to reappraise the conduct of the battle, its significance and its legacy. The battle for Ypres in October and November 1914 represented the last opportunity for open, mobile warfare on the Western Front for the next four years. It marked the transition between war as it had been and war as it would become. The first battle to associate the British army with the `immortal salient' and, indeed, regarded as the end of the `old army', the mythologizing of the British struggle has obscured the major role of the French and Belgians in defending Flanders. But it has also been mythologised from the German perspective, the so-called kindermord (slaughter of the innocents) proving a useable myth for the Nazis through the participation of the young Adolf Hitler. Ideal for readers interested in the Firt World War.
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 260
Edition: 1
Publisher: Longman The first study in almost 40 years of the battle that marked the transition from war as it had been to war as it would become.
Published: 09 Sep 2004
ISBN 10: 0582506123
ISBN 13: 9780582506121
Book Overview:
'...this is a well-researched and readable book that should become the standard scholarly account of First Ypres.'
'Ian F W Beckett's study offers a new examination of First Ypres based on a much broader range of sources, including British and French archival materials as well as memoirs, contemporary accounts and modern schloarship.'
Nikolas Gardner, University of Salford, The Journal of Military History
'...this title earns its place on the bookshelf of anyone with a considered interest in World War One.'
SOFNAM, February 2005
'A first rate work by one of the leading specialists on the First World War, this study draws appropriate attention to the role of the Belgian and French forces at First Ypres...'
Jeremy Black, University of Exeter, Historical Association Reviews July 2005
a very well respected historian of World War One Beckett has an engaging writing style this is an accessible account of a key battle - Military Illustrated January 2007
Professor Ian F W Beckett is an internationally known specialist on the British army and the First World War who has taught at both British and American universities. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he was formerly Professor of Modern History at the University of Luton and a Senior Lecturer in War Studies at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. His many publications include The Great War, 1914-1918, The First World War: (Longman),The Essential Guide to Sources in the UK National Archives (The National Archives),The Army and the Curragh Incident, 1914 (Bodley head), The Judgement of History: Lord French, Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien and 1914 (Tom Donovan Publishing).