ISBN: 0 850252 933 6 SB 268 pp £14.99
Published by Pen & Sword Miitary.
Husband and wife team Major Tonie and Valmai Holt are respected WW1
authorities. They have published widely on the subject and are accredited with
the foundation of the modern battlefield tour. They also look at the
battlefields with different perspectives; both from the military and strategic,
and that of a wife and mother. The Western Front - North and its companion
volume, The Western Front - South together form a comprehensive guide to the
battlefields of the Great War. The North volume takes the reader
chronologically from the battle of
Each battle is explained with a summary and an explanation what happened
followed by a driving tour. The tours are accompanied by a map with each of the
points visited clearly marked and colour coded. There are plenty of excellent
clear photographs throughout the book to accompany the tours. Other points of
interest not actually included in the tour are noted with the prefix NB and
there are also optional visits highlighted in grey. The mileage is also
carefully noted and approximate timings given. Refreshment stops and cafes and
restaurants are also pointed out during the itineraries.
The tours of the lesser known battlefields are particularly interesting, as
many people will be familiar with the Ypres Salient battlefields (of which the
Holts have written a separate volume) but perhaps not so much with others. The
reader learns a great deal about the battles in which the allies were involved
in, and parts of the front line not held by the British.
The last section of the book contains a mass of very useful information for the
tourist, with hotel and restaurant recommendations, and the addresses and
numbers of tourist offices. There is also a list of associations and museums.
Whether the reader is taking an armchair tour or planning a battlefield visit
or undertaking the tours, there is much here to educate and inform. Highly
recommended
Reviewer: Michelle Young
