I give it, officially, two and a half stars, but since Goodreads does not allow half star ratings, I rounded up in fairness to three. However if, like me, you're a seasoned and even academically trained military historian, this book can be highly irritating reading.
Having said all of that, this is a good book for beginners, especially if you're new to the study of military history. Easily, that should have been three or four chapters. That is, perhaps, the most interesting aspect of the Battle of Verdun, and is covered in a single, ending chapter. This left me with a very empty feeling when trying to learn how the French were able to absorb the lessons of their drubbings, and reform themselves, in the midst of a huge crisis, and eventually win the battle and come out stronger on the other side. AN inordinate amount of page space is spent on the first three days of the German offensive, everything else is literally rushed through. The narrative of the battle itself is, likewise, woefully imbalanced. Again, important discussion, but needlessly long and was brought up far too often. And, finally, he dithers far too long, nearly forty to fifty pages, on whether or not Erich von Falkenhayn actually wrote the Christmas memorandum to the Kaiser where he laid out the plan for Operation Gericht. This seems woefully out of place in a book memorializing the sacrifices of the French, their Moroccan, Algerian and Senegalese Colonial troops, and the Germans. He also has a habit of reminding readers (granted, this is a book meant for an American audience) that the US was involved in the war and spent most of our, very brief, time in combat in the Verdun region. However, Axelrod tends to digress far too often and gets way too long winded in his expositions of topics not directly related to the Battle of Verdun. All of this is valid, and any volume should contain elements of it. Again, an introductory work should include some of this, but easily half of the narrative is spent in going over events in other fronts, the lives of the commanders, and his own theorizing about the planning as well as the bankrupt nature of the French doctrine of warfighting. Tis book does have some serious flaws.įirst of all Axelrod spends an inordinate amount of page space on events a bit off the field of the campaign for Verdun. And, as a basic introduction to Verdun, it is fairly well done.
It is well written, and the narrative flows well. Axelrod is a prolific writer, meaning he has decent enough sales that publishers will contract his work, and so I figured his would be the perfect introductory volume to the study of this pivotal battle. As such, I wished to find a decent book on the battle to begin my study of it. Verdun was a battle that, until now, I had read little on beyond the chapters in general histories and articles in military history journals and magazines. The centennial in 2014 peaked my interest, and Max Hastings sold me on studying the war with his marvelous Catastrophe: 1914. WWI is a conflict that is still, largely, a gap in my knowledge queue. As such, I wished to find a decent book on the battle to beg Since there are other, longer, reviews of this work, I will strive to keep mine brief. Since there are other, longer, reviews of this work, I will strive to keep mine brief. Although the battle took place in Europe, the American perspective is featured prominently. The battle is set in the context of the history of modern warfare, technologically, culturally, and politically. The book offers an exciting popular narrative, with emphasis on key personalities involved and on its strategic and political significance. Approximately 700,000 men fell in this one battle. The book offers an exciting popular narrative, with emphasis on key personalities invo Called "the worst battle in history" by military historian Sir Alistair Horne, the Battle of Verdun took place from February 21 through December 18, 1916, making 2016 the 100th anniversary of this major battle in the war to end all wars. Called "the worst battle in history" by military historian Sir Alistair Horne, the Battle of Verdun took place from February 21 through December 18, 1916, making 2016 the 100th anniversary of this major battle in the war to end all wars.
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