Osprey Battles and Histories : Passchendaele and the Battles of Ypres 1914-1918

Passchendaele and the battles of Ypres stand out amongst the key events of World War 1 as particularly striking symbols of both courage, and death and desolation which the great war brought to an entire generation. Here, Martin Marix Evans presents a moving portrayal of those who fought and died in Ypres, on both sides of the conflict. Despite the passing of time, for the British, Australians and Canadians the name of Passchendaele still remains symbolic of courage in the face of extreme conditions, and casualties beyond the grasp of the imagination. The battle ushered in a new era of warfare, and came to symbolise the devastation of a generation. But Passchendaele was only one in a series of battles around Ypres during four years of war. Martin Marix Evans, with the aid of eyewitness accounts, photographs and maps, guides the reader through the battlefields of the Ypres salient, then and now, and the experiences of those who fought and died there on all sides (not just British and German - the French and Belgian losses were also high). It is, in essence, a powerful and moving portrayal of war.

Contents

• The Formation on the Western Front
• The First Battle of Ypres
• The Second Battle of Ypres
• The Quiet Years
• The Battle of Messines Ridge
• The Third Battle of Ypres
• Passchendaele
• 1918 - The Last Battles
• Bibliography
• Index