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Product Description
Product Description
Cheerful Sacrifice tells the story of the spring offensive of April - May 1917, otherwise known as the Battle of Arras. Probably because the noise had hardly died down before it started up again with the explosions at Messines, shortly to be followed by the even more horrible Third Ypres - remembered as Passchendaele - the Battle of Arras has not received the attention it deserves. Yet, as the author points out, on the basis of the daily casualty rate it was the most lethal and costly British offensive battle of the First World War. In the thirty-nine days that the battle lasted the average casualty rate was far higher than at either the Somme or Passchendaele.
Jonathan Nicholls, in this his first book, gives the Battle of Arras its proper place in the annals of military history, enhancing his text with a wealth of eye-witness accounts. One is left in no doubt that the survivor who described it as 'the most savage infantry battle of the war', did not exaggerate. Nor can there be much doubt that the author is destined to rise high in the firmament of military historians.
Jonathan Nicholls, in this his first book, gives the Battle of Arras its proper place in the annals of military history, enhancing his text with a wealth of eye-witness accounts. One is left in no doubt that the survivor who described it as 'the most savage infantry battle of the war', did not exaggerate. Nor can there be much doubt that the author is destined to rise high in the firmament of military historians.
About the Author
Jonathan Nicholls was born in 1948. He went to Towcester Grammar School, Northants. In 1968 he joined the Metropolitan Police where he is currently serving at Hampstead Police Station. In his capacity as a Police Officer, he met many of the old soldiers who encouraged him to write this book. He has held a lifelong interest in the 1914-18 war and has for many years been organising tours to the old Western Front. His other interests include Music and Rugby Football. He now lives in Hemel Hempstead with his wife and son.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Just finished this, and this is easily the most interesting and easily readable book I've read on the Great War and currently my collection of books on this topic is into 3 figures.
Very informative read, the true life memories from veterans are both heartbreaking and awe inspiring.
Very informative read, the true life memories from veterans are both heartbreaking and awe inspiring.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is worthy of Middlebrook himself (the author was a protege and MM writes the forward)
It's a similar style to MM's 'Somme'- unit by unit descriptions of the battle phases interspersed with quotes from the (then-surviving) veterans. It's a very effective mixture; strategic grasp and human interest.
It's fascinating and humbling to read the accounts of bayonetting people in the guts, chucking grenades down into crowded dug-outs etc and then realise they were given by the sweet old gents pictured making a last pilgrimage to the battlefields and their mates' graves.
All soldiers should read this book for this aspect alone - it's a commentary on the fragility of life and the inevitability of aging (if you're lucky).
I particularly like the use of 'Punch' cartoons throughout the book (an over-looked area of study). They help to convey that this was a supreme national effort and probably this country's (and the Empire's) finest hour and that humour (normally gallows') is an essential component of any military endeavour.
I have circa 150 books on WW1 and this is in my top 10, buy it - you won't regret it.
It's a similar style to MM's 'Somme'- unit by unit descriptions of the battle phases interspersed with quotes from the (then-surviving) veterans. It's a very effective mixture; strategic grasp and human interest.
It's fascinating and humbling to read the accounts of bayonetting people in the guts, chucking grenades down into crowded dug-outs etc and then realise they were given by the sweet old gents pictured making a last pilgrimage to the battlefields and their mates' graves.
All soldiers should read this book for this aspect alone - it's a commentary on the fragility of life and the inevitability of aging (if you're lucky).
I particularly like the use of 'Punch' cartoons throughout the book (an over-looked area of study). They help to convey that this was a supreme national effort and probably this country's (and the Empire's) finest hour and that humour (normally gallows') is an essential component of any military endeavour.
I have circa 150 books on WW1 and this is in my top 10, buy it - you won't regret it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Battle of Arras remains the forgotten battle of the First World War, but it is difficult to see why, given the brilliance of this book.
Having read Martin Middlebrook's and Lynn MacDonald's books on various campaigns, it comes as a shock to come across a book as well written as this, by an author for whom, I believe, this is his only book. The maps are also extremely useful, which is a pleasant change.
But, for a book on such a subject, this really is one which, once started, cannot be put down; to be honest, the first such book since MacDonald's "1915". I had this book for about a year before reading it, and I regretted my having failed to read it earlier.
It makes a great change to find a study of a major battle of the First World War which shows that the British Army (and the Canadian and Australian Divisions and Corps)commanders were not always the bull-headed "butchers" of the Somme and Passchendaele. Here, with the notable exceptions of the disasters of Bullecourt and of Mouchy, there seems here to be some glimpse of the successes of the final campaigns of 1918.
The Canadians at Vimy Ridge have their own days of glory, and they are covered in this book, but the main part of it is taken up with the, initially very successful, efforts to break through the Hindenburg Line. There are very few books on this subject, which is something of a surprise, given the casualty figures.
Read this book and you can see the middle period between the catastrophe on the Somme and the continual successes of the last months of an awful war.
Having read Martin Middlebrook's and Lynn MacDonald's books on various campaigns, it comes as a shock to come across a book as well written as this, by an author for whom, I believe, this is his only book. The maps are also extremely useful, which is a pleasant change.
But, for a book on such a subject, this really is one which, once started, cannot be put down; to be honest, the first such book since MacDonald's "1915". I had this book for about a year before reading it, and I regretted my having failed to read it earlier.
It makes a great change to find a study of a major battle of the First World War which shows that the British Army (and the Canadian and Australian Divisions and Corps)commanders were not always the bull-headed "butchers" of the Somme and Passchendaele. Here, with the notable exceptions of the disasters of Bullecourt and of Mouchy, there seems here to be some glimpse of the successes of the final campaigns of 1918.
The Canadians at Vimy Ridge have their own days of glory, and they are covered in this book, but the main part of it is taken up with the, initially very successful, efforts to break through the Hindenburg Line. There are very few books on this subject, which is something of a surprise, given the casualty figures.
Read this book and you can see the middle period between the catastrophe on the Somme and the continual successes of the last months of an awful war.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Superb book, Arras is well overdue a dedicated book and it got the...
The Battle of Arras has had little coverage in literature, especially compared to the Somme, Passchendaele, Cambrai etc, so not only is it good the Battle has finally been covered... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Rob L
Cheerful Sacrifice
his book brings the history of WW1 to life through the descriptions of the battles and the witnesses of those who played their part.
Published on 12 May 2010 by K. Terry
Arras - Personal View
Great book, written by an acknowledged expert on the subject. Very useful for the visitor or keen amateur historian.
Published on 15 April 2010 by Mr. Nicholas J. Bonett
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