{"title":"Ralph J Whitehead","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"other-side-of-the-wire-volume-1-book-ralph-j-whitehead-9781908916891","title":"The Other Side of the Wire Volume 1","description":"The Other Side of the Wire brings to life a period long forgotten in the decades that have passed since the Great War ended in 1918. Until recently, most books written on the Battle of the Somme concentrated almost exclusively on the British effort with only a brief mention of the period before 1 July 1916 and the German experience in the battle. Most simply ignore the nearly two years of warfare that preceded the momentous offensive. By focusing on one of the principal German formations involved in the Somme fighting, author Ralph Whitehead brings to life this little-known period, from the initial German advance on the Somme in September 1914 through the formation of the front that became so well known almost two years later. The book covers the early fighting around villages that took on such notoriety in 1916: Serre, Beaumont-Hamel, Thiepval, Ovillers, La Boisselle and Fricourt among others. The events that took place on the Somme between September 1914 and June 1916 would slowly but surely turn the once rolling farmland into a veritable fortress. The author brings a sense of humanity to the story of the war using the words of the men who fought on the Somme, many of them from previously unpublished diaries and Feldpost letters. The book takes the reader from the initial German invasion of the Somme through to the end of June 1916, the eve of the Somme Offensive. The reader can experience the start of trench warfare, French attacks in 1914 and 1915 and the implementation of trench raids and how they developed over time. The start of mine warfare, artillery tactics, life in the rear areas and the arrival of the British are covered in detail. The book relates the experiences and daily activities of the men from the XIV Reserve Corps as each chapter brings the reader closer to the Somme Offensive in 1916, an attack that was long anticipated by the men of the XIV Reserve Corps. The reader will have a better understanding of the events that took place on 1 July 1916, and some of the reasons for the successes and failures on both sides of the wire on that momentous day. The author also provides details of the discovery and identification by the Great War Archaeological Group 'No Man's Land' of two German soldiers, both of who lost their lives in June 1915 while fighting near Serre. An account of their final moments is provided based upon the historic records and the archaeological finds. A detailed casualty list is included for seven regiments of infantry and artillery for the period September 1914 through June 1916 in an effort to give some scale to the losses suffered by the Germans on the Somme during this period. One unique aspect of the book is the hundreds of photographs of the men who actually fought in the XIV Reserve Corps, many never published before and taken from the author's personal collection. Overall, the book features nearly 350 photographs, many previously unpublished, giving a unique insight into the German forces on the Somme 1914-16.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49737399533841,"sku":"NGR9781908916891","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1908916893.jpg?v=1751630804"},{"product_id":"other-side-of-the-wire-volume-2-book-ralph-j-whitehead-9781804510407","title":"The Other Side of the Wire Volume 2","description":"Volume 1 of The Other Side of the Wire told the story of the German XIV Reserve Corps from the initial invasion of the Somme in Northern France in 1914 to the final hours before the momentous battle of 1 July 1916. Volume 2 covers the epic Battle of the Somme and takes the reader through the story of 1 July 1916 as seen from the German defenders. Each part of the great battle, from Gommecourt in the north to Curlu on the bank of the River Somme, is presented from the German perspective of the men who defended their sectors against the British and French offensive. The story of the Germans fighting on the Somme on 1 July 1916 is presented using first hand accounts and regimental histories to provide the reader with a part of the battle long ignored in most histories written since the war. Hundreds of illustrations of the men who fought on the Somme on 1 July are presented to the reader, many previously unpublished from the author's personal collection. Numerous maps provide additional details to help the reader follow the flow of action on that historic day. Perhaps the most unique aspect of the book is the presentation of the casualty lists of the units that took part in the battle as they were published in the weeks following the battle in the German 'Verlustlisten'. Never before have the German losses been identified and presented to the public in this manner. It is the hope of the author to provide the reader with the human face of the men in Field Grey who faced one of the mightiest onslaughts ever seen in history. By providing these details, illustrations and casualty details a true portrayal of the men who fought on 1 July on 'the other side of the wire' can finally be presented. This superb Great War title is being published in a strictly limited edition hardback run of 750 copies, each copy individually numbered and signed by the author.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49743371796753,"sku":"NGR9781804510407","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50762190651665,"sku":"GOR014062439","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/B0BFM5WF7X.jpg?v=1751631454"},{"product_id":"other-side-of-the-wire-volume-3-book-ralph-j-whitehead-9781804513804","title":"The Other Side of the Wire Volume 3","description":"Volume 3 carries the story of the XIV Reserve Corps through the momentous Battle of the Somme and into 1917, a period of transition for the German Army. The old tactics and strategy of trench warfare would undergo great changes as the German Army was transformed from a military force rooted in the 19th Century into a modern 20th Century fighting force with new strategies and tactics. The concept of a continuous trench system was being transformed into a defense in depth as a direct result of a shortage of men in the German Army.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe reader will experience the withdrawal to the Siegfried Stellung (Hindenburg Line) and the subsequent fighting by Arras and trench warfare by Verdun and in the Champagne. What was not known to the rank and file during this time were the difficulties facing the German High Command in regard to manpower problems, and the huge consumption of critical resources resulting from fighting on numerous battle fronts. It was a time when Germany began to realize that something needed to change otherwise the war could be lost. It was a time for bold ideas and new strategies, tactics and weapons that could sustain the German Army as the war entered its third year. The reader will follow the men of the XIV Reserve Corps in their own words as they experienced the transformation of the German Army through Feldpost letters and previously unseen first-hand accounts. They will also see how the Allies changed the way they fought the war as new weapons and tactics appeared on the battlefield. It would be a volatile period during the war that became the basis for the final act of the war, the preparation and execution of the German offensives of 1918 and the eventual end of the war that will be covered in the fourth and final volume of this series.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49744797794577,"sku":"NGR9781804513804","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1804513806.jpg?v=1751630075"},{"product_id":"other-side-of-the-wire-volume-4-book-ralph-j-whitehead-9781912390885","title":"The Other Side of the Wire Volume 4","description":"Volume 4 of The Other Side of the Wire looks at the events that occurred in preparation for the German Offensives of 1918; the last attempt to bring victory to the German Army. The book describes the experiences of the men of the 26th and 28th Reserve Divisions as the men prepared for the Spring Offensives, the attacks and the subsequent events that took place until November 1918. The book continues to follow the events of these divisions following the series of offensives and the eventual collapse of the German armies in the west, up through the final months of the war until the Armistice and the journey home. The book looks at the collapse of the structure of the German forces; from a powerful force until it was no more than an empty shell of its former self. In the past it was assumed that the German Army was not defeated in the field, and as such the events of the last months of the war helped to spread the concept of the army being stabbed in the back by the events that occurred inside Germany with political unrest. This volume will show what truly happened within the army ranks. While many books end at the Armistice on 11 November 1918, this volume will take the reader into the postwar years, the creation of the veteran organizations, the rise of the Nazi Party, and the decades that followed the end of the Second World War. One major event that is described in detail is what happened to the Jewish veterans of the Great War during the reign of Adolf Hitler. The book, the final volume in the series, completes the story of the men who went off to war in 1914 with the flush of victory, and who ultimately faced defeat four years later. It is unique in the sense that the books follow the XIV Reserve Corps throughout the war and into the postwar years, giving the reader a personal glimpse into a piece of history that is all too often ignored; the personal aspect of this important aspect of world history.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":50176991756561,"sku":"NGR9781912390885","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1912390884.jpg?v=1751631514"},{"product_id":"other-side-of-the-wire-volume-1-book-ralph-j-whitehead-9781906033293","title":"Other Side of the Wire Volume 1","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":50811036598545,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50811037319441,"sku":"GOR014081825","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1906033293.jpg?v=1751412924"},{"product_id":"other-side-of-the-wire-volume-2-book-ralph-j-whitehead-9781907677120","title":"The Other Side of the Wire Volume 2","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50983843102993,"sku":"GOR014160363","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51437711982865,"sku":"GOR014279615","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1907677127.jpg?v=1751631602"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-ralph-j-whitehead.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}