Cheerful Sacrifice

by Jonathan Nicholls, Martin Middlebrook (Foreword by)

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.

Genres: World War I

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1990

Reviews

[Graham Mott · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent history of the battle of Arras and despite being more than a few years old still the best single volume history of the battle. The author interviewed over 300 veterans, all now sadly gone and the immediacy of their testimonies adds a lot to the book’s poignancy and humour.

Some good maps make the events easy to follow and well worth reading if you are planning to visit the area.

[Jon Hollis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent account of the battle of Arras that took place as part of the Allied sping offensive in 1917. The initial goal was supposed to be as a diversionary action to draw enemy troops away from the main attack by the French a few weeks later. Unfortunately the French attack was a complete disaster, owing in no small part to the capture of the complete French battle plan by a German frontline trench raid. 120,000 French casualties on the first day, which brought about the near collapse of the entire French Army. The British carried on, as to stop was considered worse and this led to one of the most costly and pointless British campaigns of the whole war. The daily death rate was the highest of all the British WW1 battles.

Good stuff. Nothing much to add to the learned WW1 amateur historian but there's some good bits on the use of mines - tunnelling into the middle of no-mans land and an excellent first day for the British of which they learnt many lessons from a well rehearsed and co-ordinated plan of attack. Unfortunately they didn't put any of these to good use until over a year later.

If you've not read much historical First World War literature, then this would be a good one.

[Graham glover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

Meticulously researched and faithfully presented, this is a magnificent book.

I have read many battlefield histories, biographies and collections of personal accounts this book stands shoulder to shoulder with the best of them.

Anyone reading reviews its obviously thinking of purchasing. Stop thinking now, buy it, read it , you will not be disappointed.

[Helen Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book to learn more about the battle in which my husband's uncle lost his life. From the first few words, I knew this was a book for the ages. It is meticulously researched with input from scores of former combatants. This is far more than a listing of battles with little "meat on the bones." It is a fascinating account of the bloodiest battle of World War I with excerpts from memories of the actual fighters that add credibility to the narrative.

Although written from a British perspective, the author gives credit to troops from other nations, including the Germans. Reading some of the journal entries of those brave young men brings tears to your eyes. Imagine being 19 and realizing that this might be your last day on earth. We learn of the heartbreak of losing one's "mates" and the agonies of injuries.

I knew a fair bit about the battle but had no idea that it lasted so long and cost so many lives. The errors of the French army and the refusal to fight shocked me as it was their country that was being fought over. I had no idea about that aspect of the battle and now understand why subsequent actions were taken.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in military history. This amazingly detailed account leaves no doubt about the horror of war as faced by those young men.

This has to be one of the best war accounts I have read. The author is to be commended for his depth of research and his use of words to describe the action. As I was reading, I could almost feel that I was there.

[Shimako · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good ww1 read

No segment of history interests me more than WW1. A good case can be made that the history of the twentieth century stems in no small part from the myriad results of this conflict. It is worth reading about the Arras battle if for no other reason than to give the combatants their due right. To be remembered.

Why only three stars? Because, while I certainly enjoy reading about the war in the ordinary soldiers words, I also need to read much more from the generals who directed the carnage. We're their decisions correct, wrong? Did any of them emerge as notable commanders or just attritional managers of another failed offensive.

Arras is somewhat of a forgotten battle even though there were some quarter of a million combined casualties. This probably due to the fact that it was fought between the Somme and Third Ypres. The combatants deserve this book. Just be aware that it's format is very similar to Jack Sheldon's works, where the historical narrative is basically just a link between soldier's commentaries. If you enjoy this format as the primary methodology of a history, as opposed to more scholarly histories with soldier's comments as an adjunct, then you may greatly enjoy this book.

[Gareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly enjoyable. Strong use of anecdotal evidence with a good tactical overview. Great maps, which seems all too rare in WW1 military histories. The final chapter in both an effective summing-up and a moving reminder of the human cost of the war. Negatives - I could have read 400 pages like this!

[Joanna Costin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting, well-written and well-researched book. Oral history accounts were the main focus, and the stories helped you to engage with the bigger picture. Well put together, and if you found The First Day on the Somme by Martin Middlebrook interesting, you'll enjoy this one too.