We have taken the opportunity with our 2021 editions of the OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR – FRANCE AND BELGIUM series to redesign the covers and print on 140g silk paper. This official history was the grandest ever produced in Britain, and its purpose was to provide “within reasonable compass an authoritative account, suitable for general readers and for students at military schools”. Due to the number of full-colour maps bound in each volume, previous attempts to reprint this valuable reference either floundered, or were produced with the maps in monochrome. At last, the acclaimed work of the official cartographers who had 90,000 maps at their command can be examined as they intended – in full colour.
France and Belgium 1918. Vol II. March-April: Continuation Of The German Offensives. OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR
This second volume of the events of 1918 takes the story from 27th March up to and including 30th April. During these five weeks the German offensive on the Somme was brought to a halt in front of Amiens on 4th April. At this point Ludendorff switched his main effort to the Lys in an endeavour to seize Hazebrouck, the hub of the BEF communications. This attack, too, failed and Ludendorff broke it off on 30th April. The volume concludes with a very useful chapter of reflections in which the momentous events are analysed in some detail, including an account of the supersession of General Sir Hubert Gough, the commander of Fifth Army which bore the brunt of the first days of the enemy offensive. There are also very full notes on casualties and on ammunition receipts and expenditure.