The Darkest Year: The British Army on the Western Front 1917(Wolverhampton Military Series)

Nineteen-seventeen was a desperately hard year for the Allies. The forces of France, Russia and Italy were at a low ebb, whilst the Central Powers appeared resurgent. By the middle of the year only the British Army was capable of major offensive operations on the Western Front. Forced to bear the brunt of the war, it found itself locked in hard fighting against a skilled and determined German foe. Thus the year would not only be defined by the mud-stricken Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) but also by major offensives at Arras, Messines Ridge and Cambrai. The fourth of a five-volume series, The Darkest Year brings together leading First World War scholars to examine the British Army in 1917. It includes essays which consider grand strategy, tactical development and training, maintenance of morale and the importance of intelligence gathering. It also includes insightful studies of crucial battles and engagements such as the advance to the Hindenburg Line, Third Battle of the Scarpe and the dreadful struggle for Bourlon Wood. Drawing upon the latest research, this volume provides valuable new insights into the British Army's experience during this controversial year. 87 b/w photos, 21 maps

About the Author :
Dr. Spencer Jones lectures at the Centre for First World War Studies at the University of Birmingham and at the History, Politics & War Studies department at the University of Wolverhampton. His previous publications include From Boer War to World War: Tactical Reform of the British Army 1902-1914, as well as numerous scholarly articles. Born in 1961, Gary Sheffield studied history at the University of Leeds, before beginning to lecture on war studies at the Royal Military Sandhurst Academy. He then completed his PhD at King’s College, London. After finishing his studies, Sheffield moved into full-time academia, as Professor of Modern History at King’s College, and then the first Professor of War Studies at the University of Birmingham. He later moved to the University of Wolverhampton. Sheffield has been published widely on military history subjects, with his second book, The Chief: Douglas Haig and the British Army (2011) widely commended in both academic and popular circles alike. Sheffield currently serves as Vice President of the Western Front Association and sits on the Advisory Board of the Royal United Services Institute.

Review :
"In all these essays, the authors use a variety of sources to give us a fair evaluation of the topics. Their scholarship is sound and their writing is clear...highly recommended for those who are interested in the latest research on the BEF."