Verdun 1916: The Renaissance of the Fortress by J E Kaufmann

Verdun 1916: The Renaissance of the Fortress by J E Kaufmann

Wrapped in myth and distortion, the Battle of Verdun is one of the most enigmatic battles of the Great War, and the controversy continues a century later. Before the battle the Germans believed they had selected one of the strongest points in the French defences in the hope that, if they smashed through it, the French would collapse. But Verdun was actually a hollow shell since its forts were largely disarmed and the trench lines were incomplete. So why did the Germans fail to take Verdun? As well as seeking to answer this fundamental question, the authors of this perceptive new study reconsider other key aspects of the battle - the German deployment of stormtroopers, the use of artillery and aircraft, how the French developed the idea of methodical battle which came to dominate their military thought after the war. They look too at how Verdun brought about a renaissance of fortress engineering that resulted in the creation of the Maginot Line and the other fortifications constructed in Europe before the Second World War.

J. E. Kaufmann is a freelance researcher and a retired public school teacher. He has published several books on fortifications and is the founder of Site O, an international group devoted to the study of fortifications. His numerous articles have appeared in Military Affairs, Fort: the International Journal of Fortification and Military Architecture, and Strategy and Tactics.

H. W. Kaufmann is an instructor in the Romance Language Department at San Antonio College. She has a PhD in Medieval Spanish, and is fluent in French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, and Amharic. She is the co-author of numerous books on fortifications and has translated articles on fortifications for foreign-language magazines.

Tomasz Idzikowski is a professional artist.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781473827028
ISBN 10	1473827027
Title	Verdun 1916: The Renaissance of the Fortress
Author	J E Kaufmann
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Pen & Sword Books Ltd
Year published	2016-08-01
Number of pages	256
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.