Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36036 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

Synopsis
Even after the passage of almost a century, the name Passchendaele has lost none of its power to shock and dismay. Reeling from the huge losses in earlier battles, the German army was in no shape to absorb the impact of the Battle of Messines and the subsequent bitter attritional struggle. Throughout the fighting on the Somme, the German army had always felt that it had the ability to counter Allied thrusts, but following the shock reverses of April and May 1917, much heart searching had led to the urgent introduction of new tactics of flexible defence. When these in turn were found to be wanting, the psychological damage shook the German defenders badly. But, as this book demonstrates, at trench level the individual soldier of the German Army was still capable of fighting extraordinarily hard, despite being outnumbered, outgunned and subjected to relentless, morale-sapping shelling and gas attacks.

The German army drew comfort from the realisation that, although it had had to yield ground and had paid a huge price in casualties, its morale was essentially intact and the British were no closer to a breakthrough in Flanders at the end of the battle than they had been many weeks earlier.

Customer Reviews

Seen from the other side
I have to agree with T.J Denman's review to some extent, though I had no illusions as to the source of the material. The reading can be rather heavy going, and it does seem a little stilted. However it is fascinating to read what was going on on the other side of No-man's-land. There is so much from the English point of view that your thoughts can become very lopsided. To get the full picture you really need to read what it was like from the other side, and there are relatively few books telling that. Well worth reading.

Use with great caution
Sheldon's book is based largely on translations from the hundreds of regimental histories that appeared in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. But, as Sheldon nowhere acknowledges, these were written under conditions of strict censorship imposed by the German government as to their content and point of view. The Reichsarchiv insisted that they 'abstain from any critical position taking'. The regimental 'war diaries' and collections of soldiers' letters (feldpostbriefe) on which the regimental histories drew were also severely controlled and censored. It says a great deal about these regimental 'histories' that one of the greatest admirers of their style and point of view was Adolf Hitler. Sheldon is more of a military enthusiast than a proper historian, so you wouldn't expect him to comment on these matters. But it is shocking that Peter Simkins and Richard Holmes, who introduce Sheldon's works, don't do so. Sheldon's books are useful, if dull, to read, but must be consulted with very great caution.

The Great War book of 2007
Jack Sheldon has delivered another compelling book to match his excellent reference on The German Army on the Somme (ISBN 1844152698) published in July 2005.
This current book follows the same format as its Somme partner in placing German eyewitness accounts in the correct battle context at Passchendaele as part of the Third Battle of Ypres. It is a masterpiece of research and gives breadth to the German side of the story thus far restricted to the few English translations of such authors as Junger. Indeed the temptation to regurgitate the well known accounts has been suppressed in favour of lesser known sources and it is the better for it. So those seeking Junger at Langemarck will find plenty of supporting sources and evidence from others with 73rd HF and also from adjoining regiments of the 111th Division (76th HF and 164th ). That is the genius of Sheldon's work; the sheer depth of research and corroboration that leaves you confident that these sources are reliable. The bibliography of over one hundred published German books plus further unpublished sources confirms this. This book is without doubt the highlight of 2007 and an absolute necessity for any serious researcher on Third Ypres.

Michael McCarthy
Editor, The Battle Guide
Guild of Battlefield Guides