And, finally, he dithers far too long, nearly forty to fifty pages, on whether or not Erich von Falkenhayn actually wrote the Christmas memorandum to the Kaiser where he laid out the plan for Operation Gericht. This seems woefully out of place in a book memorializing the sacrifices of the French, their Moroccan, Algerian and Senegalese Colonial troops, and the Germans. He also has a habit of reminding readers (granted, this is a book meant for an American audience) that the US was involved in the war and spent most of our, very brief, time in combat in the Verdun region. However, Axelrod tends to digress far too often and gets way too long winded in his expositions of topics not directly related to the Battle of Verdun. All of this is valid, and any volume should contain elements of it. Again, an introductory work should include some of this, but easily half of the narrative is spent in going over events in other fronts, the lives of the commanders, and his own theorizing about the planning as well as the bankrupt nature of the French doctrine of warfighting. Tis book does have some serious flaws.įirst of all Axelrod spends an inordinate amount of page space on events a bit off the field of the campaign for Verdun. And, as a basic introduction to Verdun, it is fairly well done. It is well written, and the narrative flows well. Axelrod is a prolific writer, meaning he has decent enough sales that publishers will contract his work, and so I figured his would be the perfect introductory volume to the study of this pivotal battle. As such, I wished to find a decent book on the battle to begin my study of it. Verdun was a battle that, until now, I had read little on beyond the chapters in general histories and articles in military history journals and magazines. The centennial in 2014 peaked my interest, and Max Hastings sold me on studying the war with his marvelous Catastrophe: 1914. WWI is a conflict that is still, largely, a gap in my knowledge queue.
As such, I wished to find a decent book on the battle to beg Since there are other, longer, reviews of this work, I will strive to keep mine brief. Since there are other, longer, reviews of this work, I will strive to keep mine brief. Although the battle took place in Europe, the American perspective is featured prominently. The battle is set in the context of the history of modern warfare, technologically, culturally, and politically. The book offers an exciting popular narrative, with emphasis on key personalities involved and on its strategic and political significance. Approximately 700,000 men fell in this one battle. The book offers an exciting popular narrative, with emphasis on key personalities invo Called "the worst battle in history" by military historian Sir Alistair Horne, the Battle of Verdun took place from February 21 through December 18, 1916, making 2016 the 100th anniversary of this major battle in the war to end all wars.
Above all we have helped the French immensely by relieving the pressure on Verdun’.Called "the worst battle in history" by military historian Sir Alistair Horne, the Battle of Verdun took place from February 21 through December 18, 1916, making 2016 the 100th anniversary of this major battle in the war to end all wars. will smash him in his deep dug outs… Anyhow we have shown the Bosche that we can rush his line on a wide front and I think we shall penetrate the second line if the ammunition holds out. We are going to beat the Germans by heavy howitzers and trench mortars as they. I was promised 200 of these but have only received 25. We are not too well off for ammunition for our heavy howitzers and we require more heavy trench mortars, which have performed invaluable service to the French in this attack. It speaks well of the courage of the New Armies, but had they had more time to devote to training they would have been able to hold on to many points from which they were driven by a few enterprising German machine-gunners.
29 Brigades (about 100,000 men) were taking part in the first assault the percentage is not so high… I cannot speak too highly of the spirit and self-sacrifice of the rank and file. ‘The casualties have of course been heavy and the figures look large, but when one considers that.