Walking Ypres

by Paul Reed

The medieval city of Ypres will forever be associated with the Great War, especially by the British. From 1914 to 1918 it was the key strong point in the northern sector of the Western Front, and the epic story of its defense has taken on almost legendary status. The city and the surrounding battlefields are also among the most visited sites on the Western Front, and Paul Reeds walking guide is an essential travellng companion for anyone who is eager to explore them either on foot, by bike or by car. His classic book, first published as Walking the Salient over ten years ago, is the result of a lifetimes research into the battles for Ypres and the Flemish landscape over which they were fought. He guides the walker to all the key locations Ypres itself, Yser, Sanctuary Wood, Bellewaarde Ridge, Zillebeke, Hill 60, Passchendaele, Messines, Kemmel and Ploegsteert are all covered. There are walks to notable sites behind the lines, around Poperinghe, Vlamertinghe and Brandhoek. And, for this second edition which he has revised, updated and expanded, he has provided new photographs and included two entirely new walks covering the Langemarck and Potijze areas. Walking Ypres brings the visitor not only to the places where the armies clashed but to the landscape of monuments, cemeteries and villages that make the Ypres battlefields among the most memorable sites of the Great War.

500 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 28, 2017

About the author

Born in the 1960s, Paul Reed is a leading military historian specialising in the First and Second World Wars. He is the author of seven books, including the best-selling Walking The Somme (Pen & Sword 1997), Great War Lives (Pen & Sword 2010) and Walking D-Day (Pen & Sword 2012).

Paul also works as an Historical Consultant and Contributor for Television; most recently he was consultant on Michael Palin’s Last Day of WW1, series consultant for BBC1’s My Family At War and historical consultant for BBC2’s Dan Snow’s Little Ships and BBC1’s Dig1940.

In 2011 he worked on Dig WW2 with Dan Snow and in 2012 was consultant for War Hero In My Family and is currently work on a new Channel 5 series about WW1 battlefield archaeology in Flanders.

Paul Reed can be contacted on: ww1research@hotmail.com

Principal websites are:

Battlefields of WW2: www.ww2battlefields.com
Old Front Line – Battlefields of WW1: www.battlefields1418.com
Ypres Battlefields: www.ypres-1917.com
Somme Battlefields: www.somme1916.com
Napoleonic Battles: www.napoleonic-battles.co.uk

Reviews

[Peter Upton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading a lot of factual First World War books lately and this book, containing numerous walking routes around Ypres, is probably the best of its kind if you want to discover the area without a Guided Tour. The book also contains various veterans accounts and I would like to share a couple that deserve further recognition that humanity can still exist in war.
From the records of the 1/5th Leicestershire Regiment.
1: 'One of two amusing stories are told about the infantry opposite who were Saxons, and inclined to be friendly with the English. On one occasion the following message, tied to a stone, was thrown into our trench:
We are going to send a 40 pound bomb. We have got to do it, but we don't want to. It will come this evening, and we will whistle first to warn you.
All of this happened!'

2: In a different part an English assault was launched in an area full of shell holes and thick mud in which men would be sucked down and drown.
'The German Division who held this part of the line appears to have been taken by surprise, for it made a very poor resistance, and in places where the crossing was difficult, the curious sight of Germans holding out their hands to help our men out of the mud could be seen.'

[Jordan Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book over the past month or so as research for a novel I am writing based in the Belgium town of Ypres (Ieper). I recommend purchasing this book if you are planning to tour the Flanders Fields and Western Front for World War 1 history, as the author provides detailed information and photographs, acting as a tour guide on paper.

Personal Reflection: During reading this book I have been working everyday in my new job at a grocer. It is summer, yet it rains almost everyday. We also had a hour hailstorm during some point in December. I spent Christmas morning with my dad and our family, and we went to the Gorge for lunch with my nan; my girlfriend was also there. It was a hot and sunny day thankfully. I then got dropped off at my mums for tea and chilled out with my brother and sister. I got dropped later that night and spent the night at my girlfriends.

I dedicate this reflection to Dr John Greenacre, who was our tour guide on the Western Front when I visited in 2018 as part of the Frank MacDonald Prize.

[Ward Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

a guide for those walking the terrain

Understanding that this is meant for the reader who is visiting battlefield locations, I did appreciate the little vignettes tossed in at each location. I wish the maps had been more/better, and the kindle format is not great at handling those—consider getting the physical book if you are touring. There are Better books for a comprehensive history, but this one is good at what it aims to do.