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Title: World War I Trench Warfare (2): 1916-18 by Stephen, Dr. Bull, Adam Hook, Osprey Publishing ISBN: 1-84176-198-2 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: June, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (1 review)
Rating: 4
Summary: Good, but Anglo-centric
Comment: Dr. Stephen Bull, curator of Military History and Archaeology at the Museum of Lancashire, picks up in this volume where he left off in his first Osprey volume on trench warfare. In this volume, Dr. Bull covers the evolution of trench warfare in 1916-1918. While far from comprehensive, this volume is interesting and does cover the most important aspects of the subject. However, readers should be aware of the not-too-subtle Anglo-centric bias of the author, particularly since like the first volume, the entire focus is on the Western Front. Trench warfare on the Russian, Italian and Turkish fronts is ignored in this volume, and even the French do not receive their fare share of coverage. I find it odd that the tiny Portuguese expeditionary force receives more attention than any Commonwealth army in this volume, including the Canadians and ANZACs. Indeed, both books in these series really only concern themselves with British and German trench warfare on the Western Front. Nevertheless, given the size constraints, these two volumes represent a good summary of Western Front trench warfare in the First World War.
The volume consists of short sections on the development of "Big Push" tactics; introduction of helmets and body armor; raids; sniping'; new defensive tactics; light machine guns; new offensive tactics (German and British only). The excellent cover plates include British raiders; German assault troops 1917; a Portuguese trench mortar team 1917; British & Australian specialist troops; German equipment; French specialist troops; American infantry 1918; German assault troops 1918; American trench fighters 1918; and a British platoon attack 1918.
Overall, the author does a good job covering the highlights of evolving trench warfare doctrine in 1916-1918 and hammers home the thesis that tactics and doctrine were in a period of trial and error in this period. However, while the author successfully identifies the recognition by both sides that a solution to trench warfare deadlock had to be found, he fails to adequately define their solutions. While the author discusses the German storm trooper units and mentions Colonel Bruchmuller's new artillery tactics, he fails to note the lessons learned in 1917 at Riga and Caporetto. Nor does the author really describe infiltration tactics or the fact that the attacks in the 1918 Kaiserschlacht were a mix of infiltration and standard infantry tactics. As for the British, the author does a much better job (obviously since this is where most of his information concerns) discussing the evolution of new tactics, including tanks and specialist troops. However, deficiencies in British defensive tactics that contributed to the 1918 defeats are not mentioned. Nor are Canadian troops mentioned in this volume, despite the impressive capture of heavily defended Vimy Ridge in April 1917. Although French troops and weapons appear in various illustrations in the volume, they are barely mentioned in the text and there is no mention of the 1917 Nivelle Offensive. Furthermore, the author's failure to mention the development of "methodical battle" tactics by both the French and the Australian general Monash is a major omission. Yet despite the over-focus on the British trench experience, these volumes are still a good summary of the subject, as long as readers do not forget that there were other armies that were fighting and dying in the trenches in 1914-1918.
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Title: Italian Army of World War I (Men at Arms, 387) by David Nicolle, Raffaele Ruggeri ISBN: 1841763985 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: March, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: The German Army 1914-18 (Men at Arms Series 80) by Robert Marrion, Don Fosten ISBN: 085045283X Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: December, 1984 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: The German Army in World War I, 1914-15 (Men at Arms, 394) by Nigel Thomas, Gerry Embleton ISBN: 1841765651 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: August, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: The Us Army of World War 1 (Warrior, 65) by Mark R. Henry, Stephen Walsh ISBN: 1841764868 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: June, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Austro Hungarian Forces in World War I: 1914-16 by Peter Jung, Darko Pavlovic ISBN: 1841765945 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: May, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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