Written over 50 years ago, when the memory of Verdun was much fresher than it is today, this chronicle of the longest and bloodiest battle of the First War and possibly the longest and bloodiest in history is definitely not a dry account of troop movements and battle plans. On surface that may seem a bridge too far, but Horne establishes a national context through France's enormous suffering at Verdun - and beyond. Alistair Horne's classic work, continuously in print for over fifty years, is a profoundly moving, sympathetic study of the battle and the men who fought there. He is presented as being overly cautious, overly secretive, excessively stingy with troops, having a flawed strategic I found this a superb look at the iconic battle of World War I. A junior officer in the 1960s, Powell wanted to avoid another Vietnam; they heeded his doctrine in 1991 but, as we know, in 2003 even Powell seemed to forget it.
I have a Sick Child right now, which means I'm currently running on less than three hours' sleep. Koska vuosi sitten en oikein tiennyt mitään Ensimmäisestä Maailmansodasta, päätin lukea aiheesta kolme kirjaa. He is posting links, facts and backstage material on our social media channels. In looking at the commanders, the German commander, Falkenhayn, comes off extremely poorly. My only complaint is that he doesn't translate any of his French quotes! Indeed, the French learned from them and French troops, mimicking their enemy, had some early success in the Somme. If you are at all interested in the battle of Verdun, the fairly modest cover price of the book is well worth paying.
When finally the battle drew to a close, it was with a whimper, not a bang. The difference was something that would become more obvious in the second World War but that was nevertheless visible even in the tender year of 1915: Falkenhayn was a commanding general, yes, but he was a German commanding general, and therefore evil. It was a battle in which at least 700,000 men fell, along a front of fifteen miles. In another country -- 17. The final break would occur with, after Verdun, a new French offensive that would again needlessly sacrifice French lives in pursuit of victory and glory the title of the book is meant to be ironic. German storm troops had good success with their new techniques early in the battle.
These include the first use of flame throwers and phosgene gas by the Germans and rolling barrages by the French as they pushed the Germans back in fall of 1916. I know he probably speaks fluid french, but not all of us do! It does not suffer in the least that it was first published 50+ years ago, it is as relevant today as ever. But what made Verdun uniquely horrific was how long it went on for. Crispin's Day speech from Henry V. Wounded, he displayed violent bad temper in hospital; shook Paris by his wild debauches on convalescent leave; and finally ended the war in a mental home, suffering from chronic depression into which he had sunk after the death of his brother.
It was a battle in which at least 700,000 men fell, along a front of fifteen miles. Its simply one of the very best books I ever read. The Price of Glory stands by itself as a compelling read of a tragic battle, which Horne is so good at conveying to the reader. Some selfish but ultimately healthy mechanism insulates us—most of us, most of the time—from life's horrors. It was a battle in which at least 700,000 men fell, along a front of fifteen miles. We had but one desire; the end! Well, the Germans guessed rightly that France would never surrender Verdun, which was a key fortress-town near the front lines. Alistair Horne's classic work, continuously in print for over fifty years, is a profoundly moving, sympathetic study of the battle and the men who fought there.
That infamous standoff at Verdun between the arnies of France and Germany will remain one of the greyyest description of war in my mind. He was the right man, at the right place, at the right time. Verdun:n valitsin luettavaksi siksi, että taistelun nimi on aina välillä ollut esillä kun kuvataan ihmisten mielettömyyttä. Alistair Horne's classic work, continuously in print for over fifty years, is a profoundly moving, sympathetic study of the battle and the men who fought there. The psychological effect of this on the soldiers is…well, it can hardly be imagined. Of Petain: What manner of man was this amorous general who was soon to earn from his countrymen so much honor and love, that would later be replaced by so much hatred and dishonor? Not just bad in the trite war-is-hell kind of way, but cosmically, apocalyptically bad.
Its aim was less to defeat the enemy than bleed him to death and a battleground whose once fertile terrain is even now a haunted wilderness. World War I exhausted Europe; at the outset, its armies, navies and colonies held dominion over much of the globe, but at the end it was a pauper continent, with both victors and vanquished shattered by deaths and debts, reparations and revolutions. A must read for Lost Generation junkies. At the time of which we write, Petain was a bachelor of sixty, with commendable vigor for his age…With the commanding posture that was the unmistakable and indelible mark of St. It's been instructive to remind myself that French soldiers in the line at Verdun not uncommonly went eleven days without any rest at all. The French and Germans were both deeply affected by the battle, but they drew away from the fight drawing wholly different conclusions.
Horne quotes another writer who says War is less costly than servitude. For me, the only draw back was that while the author provides several quotes in French, he does not provide an interpretation. Take this humdrum little factoid: a quarter of a million men died in the Battle of Verdun. Though more pertinently this does offer valuable insight into a matter that Horne claims is without precedence in history and utterly unfathomable, namely the Falkenhayn memo. It shows that Verdun is a key to understanding the First World War to the minds of those who waged it, the traditions that bound them and the world that gave them the opportunity. It's also strong on the experience of the battle for the ordinary soldier. The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916 is the second book of Alistair Horne's trilogy, which includes The Fall of Paris and To Lose a Battle and tells the story of the great crises of the rivalry between France and Germany.
Each chapter begins with an epigraph or two, many of which are in French or German. Published in 1962 it remains one of the leading English language books on the battle and campaign, being widely read and almost invariably cited extensively in Verdun-related bibliographies. Horne looks at the battle from all levels, from the poor infantry soldier in mud to the highest general in his chateau. Horne makes the case that it is the worst battle in history, even worse than Stalingrad, and he might be right. It's the story of the battle, rather, often in the words of the men who fought there. I'm sure any historian would say that's simply what happens in any argument. Let's just say I'm not a huge history buff.
Nevertheless, it's a highly readable introduction to the events that became seared in French memory. He has a splendid gift for depicting individuals' A. Horne makes the case that it is the worst battle in history, even worse than Stalingrad, and he might be right. So harsh were the conditions, so brutal the casualty rates, that it effectively broke the French army for the next 50 years, even, according to Horne, influencing French strategy in the Vietnam War. The problem becomes that when you know the eventual fate of your subject, do you downplay the triumph and overplay the tragedy? The prose is witty, erudite, at times strangely beautiful.