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1918: A Very British VictoryIn 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. 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. Click on this link to buy from Amazon: |
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The SommeOn July 1916, Douglas Haig's army launched the 'Big Push' that was supposed finally to bring an end to the stalemate on the Western Front. What happened next was a human catasrophe: scrambling over the top into the face of the German machine guns and artillery first, almost 20,000 British soldiers were killed that day alone, and twice as many wounded. The battle did not stop there, however. It dragged on for another four months, leaving the battlefield strewn with literally hundreds of thousands of bodies. read the reviews to the UK edition link to review of US edition in The New York Times. link to review of US edition in The Boston Globe link to review of US edition in The Washington Post Click on this link to buy from Amazon: |
JutlandThe Battle of Jutland was every bit as dramatic and agonising as the great land battles of the Western Front. In this ground-breaking book Nigel Steel and Peter Hart draw out the compelling human story of Jutland in an attempt to return it to its rightful place alongside the Somme and Passchendaele as one of the key episodes of the Great War. Click on this link to buy from Amazon: Jutland, 1916: Death in the Grey Wastes (Cassell Military Paperbacks) |
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Bloody AprilWhen the British and Canadian infantry went over the top in April 1917 they faced some of the most impregnable defensive postions on the whole Western Front. Within just a few hours they had smashed their way into the complex warren of German trenches facing Arras. Their extraordinary achievement was made possible through the heroic efforts and sacrifices of the Royal Flying Corps. Click on this link to buy from Amazon: Bloody April: Slaughter in the Skies Over Arras, 1917 (Cassell) |
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The Somme - Audio Book5 CD set with a running time of 6 hours 30 minutes. Narrated by Tim Pigott-Smith and featuring interviews recorded with the soldiers who fought in the battle. Preface read by Peter Hart. Click on this link to buy from Amazon: |
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PasschendaeleOn 31 July 1917 British troops began their attempt to break out of the Ypres Salient. The ensuing battle encompassed some of the most wretched conditions endured by any of the belligerent armies, and came to epitomise the futility and pathos of the whole of the First World War. Click on this link to buy from Amazon: Passchendaele: The Sacrificial Ground (Cassell Military Paperbacks) |
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Somme SuccessHigh above the blood-soaked trenches of the Somme during the Summer and Autumn of 1916, the Royal Flying Corps was acting out, and winning, one of the first great aerial battles of history. This was being achieved at a time when the so-called 'Great Push' had degenerated from the opening assault on Saturday 1 July into a barely perceptible 'shove'. This is a thrilling account of the dramatic events of the period and an insight into the 'glamorous' world of the Great Aces. I have a supply of this title in my garage. If you'd like to buy a copy from me (which I can sign if you'd like!), you can do so via the 'new and used' section of Amazon - choose seller 'pmhart7': Somme Success: Aerial Warfare on the Somme 1916 (for some reason Amazon have the wrong jacket design!
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Aces FallingBy 1918 the great First World War 'aces' had become the stuff of legend, and names like Manfred von Richthofen, James McCudden and Edward Mannock were powerful symbols to the warring nations. As the war changed around them the aces were pushed to their physical and mental limits. The effects of constant high altitude flying without oxygen in open cockpits slowly eroded their health. Increasingly they were tortured by inner fears that they might share the fate of the men they had killed, and as the year wore on the aces began to fall, one by one. Click on this link to buy from Amazon: |
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