The War Walk: A Journey Along the Western Front

by Nigel Jones

With an uncle killed in action near Ypres in 1915, and his father serving on Field Marshal Haig's staff, it is perhaps no wonder that Nigel Jones has always been fascinated by the First World War. This intriguing account describes Nigel's pilgrimage to the Western Front battlefields. It is a compelling blend of history and travelogue, spiced with personal anecdotes from some of the last surviving veterans of the First World War. Nigel follows the old trench networks from the Belgian coast to the Swiss frontier, bringing each battlefield to life with vivid eyewitness testimony and investigations into how the sites are preserved for modern visitors.

Genres: History, Military History, World War I

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting but dated book about the battlegrounds of the first world war

[Mariner77 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t really satisfy in either dimensions: not as a walk with various encounters, & insights, nor as a military history. Basically a canter along the lines rather than a meaningful walk.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

The parts about walking the Western Front and the characters met along the way really shine, but unfortunately there weren't enough of these and too much potted history of the First World War, which has been done better many times over.