As featured in

Despatches Spring 2018

As featured in the WHAT'S NEW section

Miniature Wargames, April 2018

I have never understood why Arras does not attract more interest among tour operators and guides. Sadly, too many view the city solely as a jump off point for the Somme's July 1916 battlefields. There is so much more to Arras than that in both wars, and this excellent new guide is the ideal introduction to the even less visited 1940 battlefields that surround Arras. This latest battleground guide offers a well-balanced mix of anecdotes; maps and photographs linked with a readable historical narrative make this a welcome addition to the WW2 guiding library.

Guild of Battlefield Guides

A quaint little book, this publication is part of the series Battleground Dunkirk. They are intended as guides for people wishing to explore the battlefield of the 1940 campaign involving the British Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders.

The book commences with an introduction by the series editor. It is followed by eight chapters, the first of which provides the context into why Arras became a centre of fighting during the Second World War. The second chapter the German rout and destruction of the 70th Infantry Brigade is covered. The other chapters focus on the fighting around Arras, and the counter-attack made by two columns from ‘Frankforce’. These events are covered well, including both operational and tactical accounts of the action, and specifically some personal accounts of the fighting.

The three car tours and two walking routes included in this will be useful if you intend to visit the area. They provide much detailed information, which should make visiting the area relaxing and logical. Directions are included, and places to stop for a specific event or reason. The book contains several useful, interesting and relevant photographs, which assist in understanding the nature of the area and what a visitor will see some seventy-six years after the event.

In conclusion, if you are considering visiting this area to view the battlefields of May 1940, I consider this book to be essential reading. If not, the details of this battle are valuable, although readers may find other accounts more comprehensive. My last observation is whether this format of publication is better on the internet, as changes may affect the tours that cannot be reflected in the book, and the internet is more dynamic.

British Military History - Rob Palmer, M.A.

If you have an interest in the story of the BEF in France in 1940 this will help with lots of detail and if you want to visit the area, which is also some lovely countryside these days, then this will be an invaluable guide to have in your car with you.

Read the complete review here.

Military Model Scene, Robin Buckland