Through German Eyes by Christopher Duffy
The Battle of the Somme has an enduring legacy, the image established by Alan Clark of 'lions led by donkeys': brave British soldiers sent to their deaths by incompetent generals. However, from the German point of view the battle was a disaster. Their own casualties were horrendous. The Germans did not hold the (modern) view that the British Army was useless. As Christopher Duffy reveals, they had great respect for the British forces and German reports shed a fascinating light on the volunteer army recruited by General Kitchener. The German view of the British Army has never been made public until now. Their typially diligent reports have lain undisturbed in obscure archives until unearthed by Christopher Duffy. The picture that emerges is a far cry from 'Blackadder': the Germans developed an increasing respect for the professionalism of the British Army. And the fact that every British soldier taken prisoner still believed Britain would win the war gave German intelligence teams their first indication that their Empire would go down to defeat.
'Excellent idea.. fascinating first-hand reports... enlightening.' LITERARY REVIEW 'Christopher Duffy's subtle and intelligent book... is a refreshing addition to the literature of the Western Front experience' -- Patrick Bishop DAILY TELEGRAPH 'fascinating records of the interrogations... show what soldiers thought weeks, if not hours after coming out of the front line.' THE OBSERVER 'Duffy's book is crisply written and an easy read.' THE SCOTSMAN
Dr Christopher Duffy was a Senior Lecturer at Sandhurst. Fluent in six languages, he is an acknowledged expert on the Austrian and German armies from the 18th century to 1945.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780297846895 |
| ISBN 10 | 0297846892 |
| Title | Through German Eyes |
| Author | Christopher Duffy |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Orion Publishing Co |
| Year published | 2006-06-08 |
| Number of pages | 384 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |