The Day We Won the War: Turning Point at Amiens, 8 August 1918

by Charles Messenger

History credits Germany with inventing the Blitzkrieg in the early days of World War II. But it was not they, but the British, who had pioneered the techniques of mobile mechanized warfare two decades earlier at Amiens, the battle that turned the tide of the First World War. Charles Messenger, a noted author on military subjects and a former officer in the Royal Tank Regiment, vividly re-creates this decisive battle and explores its historic lessons. His dramatic account shows how the British attack, spearheaded by tanks and supported by planes, was the first totally convincing demonstration of the power of modern technology to win wars.

Genres: Military History, History

279 pages, Hardcover

First published August 7, 2008

About the author

Charles Rynd Milles Messenger was a British Army officer and writer. He served for many years in the Royal Tank Regiment (19 years as a Regular, 13 years as a Territorial) before becoming a military historian and defense analyst after his retirement from active service. In addition to having published more than forty books during his long career, he also carried out several historical analyses for the Ministry Of Defence and was a writer and/or adviser for several TV documentary series.

Reviews

[Martin Samuels · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sound, well written study of the vital battle. Messenger gives a good account of the lead up to the battle and covers the various stages as events unfolded, looking at each division in turn. As with all British accounts, there is only a limited amount of information about 'the other side of the hill'. In addition, Messenger focuses primarily on narrative rather than analysis. Despite these issues, this is a very readable study and offers an excellent introduction to the battle for the lay reader and a starting point for more advanced examination of one of the British Army's greatest victories.

[Mark Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very detailed read. I found it quite hard to keep up with all the details though and locations of the troops and what they were up to

[Homer H Blass]

Messenger shows why Ludendorf called the battle of August 8, 1918 at Amiens "the black day of the German Army." Looking at the planning and the execution of the operation he shows how the British Army had mastered the use of combined arms of air; tanks; and infantry into what would latter be called :Blitzkrieg." His narrative and analysis reinforce the revisionists in their defence of the military ability of Haig and other senior allied leaders in World War 1.