Deborah and the War of the Tanks

by John Taylor

Deborah is a British First World War tank that rose from the grave after taking part in one of the most momentous battles in history. In November 1917 she played a leading role in the first successful massed tank attack at Cambrai. Eighty years later, in a remarkable feat of archaeology, the tanks buried remains were rediscovered and excavated, and are now preserved as a memorial to the battle and to the men who fought in it. John Taylors book tells the tale of the tank and her crew and tracks down their descendants to uncover a human story every bit as compelling as the military one.

Genres: World War I

662 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Librarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Ben Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deborah and the War of the Tanks combines grittty descriptions of the birth of the British Army Tank Corps (originally the Heavy Section of the Machine Gun Corps) in the chaos of World War One, with an account of how the effort to identify one decrepit tanks years after the Armistace led to the creation of an enduring memorial to the fallen. "Deborah" and the men who man come to represent all who sacrificed their lives, and Taylor tells the story with great skill and profound respect.

Taylor creates an intimate and authentic portrayal of what tank combat was like in the Great War. He doesn't shy away from the brutal, claustrophobic, and often terrifying conditions experienced by crew members. Through vivid descriptions and perhaps drawing on historical accounts, he brings to life the challenges they faced: the stifling heat, the deafening noise, and the mental stress of combat. Taylor leaves no room to doubt the courage and resilience required to operate these early, cumbersome war machines.

Taylor carries readers decades past the battlefields of the Western Front to a period where the weapons of war become a means of commemorating the men who wielded them. He describes identifying and recovering artifacts from long-dormant battlefields as a gateway to understanding the war and honoringthose who fought it. Taylor uses the story of the rediscovery and restoration of a tank christened "Deborah" to illustrate his point. To some, confirming the origin of a single tank is merely a historical footnote compared to the scale of the fighting during the First World War. Taylor deftly illustrates that the story of "Deborah" honors all the lives lost in the conflict.

 Deborah and the War of the Tanks has much to say about the importance of artifacts in understanding the experience of World War One and the act of remembrance of young men's service and sacrifice. Students of World War One, armored warfare, and battlefield archaeology will all benefit from adding this book to their collections.

[Tony Styles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unearthing the past…

I am a Great War enthusiast and this book is a fine addition to my burgeoning collection. An absolutely outstanding read; full of poignancy with plenty of genealogical connections via the descendants of the crew of ‘Deborah’ with the present, with a surprise here and there. A fabulous book that reads like a novel in places. My review should be better but suffice it to say that every student of the Great War should read this book. Almost unputdownable and worthy of 6 stars.

[Neil Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall enjoyed it and was easy to read considering the subject matter which can often be heavy and drawn out. Chapter lengths were perfect to help navigate the book. The story of the tank going into the ground and then re-emerging was a small part of the book and it was largely focused on the overall war of the tanks with focus on Deborah at ley times but also with certain sections which I felt were unnecessary. In summary a good book and interested read on a not well known story.

[Adelbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding research!