The regular armies which marched off to war in 1914 were composed of massed riflemen, screened by cavalry and supported by artillery; their leaders expected a quick and decisive outcome, achieved by sweeping manoeuvre, bold leadership and skill at arms. Eighteen months later the whole nature of field armies and their tactics had changed utterly. In sophisticated trench systems forming a battlefield a few miles wide and 400 miles long, conscript armies sheltered from massive long-range bombardment, wielding new weapons according to new tactical doctrines. This first of two richly illustrated studies explains in detail the specifics of that extraordinary transformation, complete with ten full colour plates of uniforms and equipment.
Stephen Bull, illustrated by Adam Hook
Open field warfare in 1914 - archaic tactics of infantry, cavalry and short range field artillery · The triumph of firepower & the cost of open field tactics - the Mame and Tannenberg · Digging in - the early trench systems, 1915 · Development of weapons and minor tactics 1915-16 - machine guns, trench mortars, grenades, sniping, gas, helmets & armour, new artillery · Increased sophistication of trench systems - support and reserve lines, deep dug-outs · Attempts to break the trench deadlock - the battles of Loos and Verdun.
Show moreThe regular armies which marched off to war in 1914 were composed of massed riflemen, screened by cavalry and supported by artillery; their leaders expected a quick and decisive outcome, achieved by sweeping manoeuvre, bold leadership and skill at arms. Eighteen months later the whole nature of field armies and their tactics had changed utterly. In sophisticated trench systems forming a battlefield a few miles wide and 400 miles long, conscript armies sheltered from massive long-range bombardment, wielding new weapons according to new tactical doctrines. This first of two richly illustrated studies explains in detail the specifics of that extraordinary transformation, complete with ten full colour plates of uniforms and equipment.
Stephen Bull, illustrated by Adam Hook
Open field warfare in 1914 - archaic tactics of infantry, cavalry and short range field artillery · The triumph of firepower & the cost of open field tactics - the Mame and Tannenberg · Digging in - the early trench systems, 1915 · Development of weapons and minor tactics 1915-16 - machine guns, trench mortars, grenades, sniping, gas, helmets & armour, new artillery · Increased sophistication of trench systems - support and reserve lines, deep dug-outs · Attempts to break the trench deadlock - the battles of Loos and Verdun.
Show moreOpen field warfare in 1914 - archaic tactics of infantry, cavalry and short range field artillery · The triumph of firepower & the cost of open field tactics - the Mame and Tannenberg · Digging in - the early trench systems, 1915 · Development of weapons and minor tactics 1915-16 - machine guns, trench mortars, grenades, sniping, gas, helmets & armour, new artillery · Increased sophistication of trench systems - support and reserve lines, deep dug-outs · Attempts to break the trench deadlock - the battles of Loos and Verdun.
An illustrated volume exploring the evolution of trench warfare and weaponry in the first half of the First World War.
Dr Stephen Bull is Curator of Military History and Archaeology
at the Museum of Lancashire, and an extramural lecturer for
Lancaster University. He has previously worked for the BBC in
London, and at the National Army Museum. He is the author of a
dozen military historical titles, and has recently been awarded an
MBA.
Adam Hook studied graphic design, and began his work as an
illustrator in 1983. He specialises in detailed historical
reconstructions, and has illustrated Osprey titles on subjects as
diverse as the ancient Greeks, the Aztecs, and the American
Revolutionary and Civil Wars. His work has featured in publications
and exhibitions throughout the world.
"I've never been disappointed by any of the Osprey Elite Series of books and I certainly wasn't with this one. It rekindled an area of history for me I've always enjoyed... Has this book turned me into a WWI expert? No, it hasn't. Has it increased my knowledge of the era and refreshed an aging mind? Yes. Would I recommend this book to someone else? Without a doubt or second though about it, especially if they have the slightest interest in World War I and wished to increase their knowledge a little more." --Dave O'Meara, Historicus Forma (June 2005)
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