The Western Front Association: furthering interest in the Great War 1914-18 | explore | learn | share

ISBN: 978-0-00 721459-4 HB 479 pp £20
Published by Harper Press.

This is a major new work tracing the development of the tank in WW1, and the men who inspired and fought in them, published to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cambrai.
Christy Campbell was inspired to write the book having been present at the excavation of the tank Deborah at Flesquieres. His extensive research and excellent writing style make this my book of 2007.
The book begins with the discovery of the body of Lt-Col John Brough, one of the men to work on the first tanks, who had taken his own life following his dismissal. It traces the history of the tank, from the embryonic Heath Robinson type designs to the familiar rhomboid design that first saw action in September 1916. The tests and various designs are explored, as are the various locations in the UK used to test them, such as the Suffolk estate of Elveden.
From William Tritons tractors to Cromptons articulated machines, the men and their ideas are all described in the book; Winston Churchill as always hovering around somewhere.
Inevitably with a new invention there were spy scares and rumours; Mr Campbell produces some revelatory material about a leak during the time at Elveden, a fact not before disclosed.
Of the men who went to war in the tanks, Mr Campbell has an obvious respect. These men were not professional soldiers; many being motor enthusiasts or mechanics. They surely did not know what they were letting themselves in for; the atmosphere inside the tanks was noxious with exhaust fumes( many men vomited when exiting the tank) cramped and extremely noisy.
It was also extremely dangerous; the tanks were vulnerable to armour piercing bullets (especially the practice tanks used at Arras) direct hits by shellfire which resulted in a dreadful death and breakdowns on the battlefields leaving them dangerously exposed.
The actions in which the tanks saw action in WW1 and their successes and failures form a large part of the book, with frequent contributions from the men who were in action. From September 1916, through Arras, the muddy failures at Ypres and the initial successes at Cambrai, through the Kaisers Battle to the last Hundred Days, tanks were in action, seeing warfare at its most brutal.
Well illustrated and with the notes at the bottom of the page which I always find preferable, this book is a tour de force and a fitting tribute to the first men in tanks. As the Granddaughter of a WW2 tank crew member, I have gained a much greater insight into the tank and increased my understanding and respect of the men who pioneered this new invention.
If you only buy one other Great War book this year, I recommend that you make it Band of Brigands.

Reviewer - Michelle Young