The French Army in the Great War (ePub)
Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives
Imprint: Pen & Sword Military
Series: Images of War
File Size: 60.9 MB (.epub)
Pages: 222
Illustrations: 200
ISBN: 9781473887268
Published: 16th April 2019
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| The French Army in the Great War Paperback Add to Basket | £15.99 |
There have been few books written in English about the French Army during the Great War. Those that have are scarcely illustrated. This book aims to provide a highly readable and succinct account of the work of the French Army on the Western Front, as well as provide the reader with a wealth of photographs that show the daily life of the French soldier both in and out of the trenches. All of the images are contemporary, many coming from war-time and post-war magazines, interspersed with many previously unpublished images.
The book aims to give a concise overview of the war seen through French eyes and includes the casualties incurred. Although the May 1917 mutinies were an important but brief part of the story, they are not dealt with at any length because they can distract from the main story of the valour shown by the French troops in battles were the casualties were extremely high. Also included is a lengthy introduction which explains the structure of the army at the onset of the war, some of the problems it faced, and a section that looks at the uniforms worn and how they changed during the war.
Featured in 'short bursts' book section
Military Heritage, Fall 2020
As featured on The View From The Turret
The View From The Turret Vlog
The book, to me, is a good concise history of the French Army in WWI but is an excellent pictorial history of the French Soldier in that horrific war where the French suffered over 500,000 casualties in 1914 alone out of the 1.1 million they started the war with.
February 2020, Model Military International - reviewed by Al Bowie
The Images of War series continues with a look at the French Army in World War 1. The photographs are absolutely priceless. This series should win an award!
Books Monthly
First-class collection. 9/10
The Great War magazine, September 2019
A front-line visual documentary work, really brutal.
Miniaturas JM
Read the full Spanish review here
This volume covers the French Army in a concise visual history of the Great War. – Highly Recommended
Firetrench
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Another fascinating book from Pen & Sword publishers, Barnsley – I urge you to read it.
Lucy London War Poets
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Overall, worth acquiring.
Army Rumour Service (ARRSE)
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We have a marvellous selection of archive images, all well captioned, which provide a first class look at the course of the war for France... For the modeller, reenactor and military historian in general there is a lot to like.
Military Model Scene, Robin Buckland
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I would strongly recommend this book: I love group photos of soldiers at the front, I appreciate the photos that show the logistical aspect of the war (and here there are so many), I believe that the variety of artillery pieces shown is enormous and that Bilton's effort to show the transformation of an army through many significant photos should be rewarded.
Old Barbed Wire Blog
Read the full Italian review here
Another excellent book in the series ‘Images of War’. The photographs are well chosen and show the evolution of the French soldier from the early days of the war through to the final victory. Perhaps the overall image is that of the French soldier as a stoic; seldom smiling but just enduring.
Michael McCarthy
Michael McCarthy. Battlefield Guide
About David Bilton
David Bilton is a retired teacher who spends his time looking after his family, working as a university lecturer and researching the Great War; an interest ignited by his paternal grandfather’s refusal to talk about his experiences at Gallipoli and on the Western Front. He is a prolific author whose books includes works on the British and German Army, the Home Front and Great War badges; this is volume three of the badges of the British Army in the Great War. Since he started writing he has contributed to television and radio programmes, appeared on Country File and Look North, and given talks on his work.
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