Pillars of Fire: The Battle of Messines Ridge June 1917

by Ian Passingham, Peter Simkins (Foreword by), Jan Passingham

This book examines the battle for the Messines-Wytschaete Ridge from the British, ANZAC and German perspectives. It reassesses the reasons for Plumer's success, the implications of Haig's failure to exploit that success, and finally, the legacy of the battle.

Genres: Military History, World War I, History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

222 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Ian Passingham was educated at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Keele University, serving in the British Army for 18 years before leaving as a major to pursue a career as a professional historian and defence analyst. The author of Pillars of Fire (Sutton, 1998), he leads battlefield tours to the Western Front for the celebrated 'Holt's Tours'. Ian lives in Shepperton, Middlesex.

Reviews

[Jonny · Rating 4 out of 5]

In June 1917 the British and Commonwealth forces on the Western Front achieved something unique in the period of trench warfare - they fought a battle which rapidly achieved its objectives with minimal casualties.
Pillars of Fire tells the story of how the lessons of the Somme and 1915 were applied to produce a stunning all arms victory that set the mould for the eventual victory of 1918. It's well written, taking info account the viewpoints of those who took part. The role of the famous mines is well documented, the only voices missing in particular were those of the RFC but that's a minor gripe.
Overall I enjoyed the book, gaining an insight into a battle one off my great grandad's was involved in, but also a wider picture of the battle as a whole. A nice read just in advance of a centenary who's coverage will (I just bet) focus on just a few seconds of the event.

[Dimitri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A no-frills account of the largest non-nuclear explosion ever triggered by man. The relative quiet around Ypres, as the focus of attack lay further south around Arras, permitted an investment in siege warfare on a scale inconceivable in the Middle Ages and proportionally fraught with risks. It paid off and - in the vein of Vimy & Cambrai - proved in a mere 18 hours that the revolutionised tactics of the Entente could challenge the German domination of the high ground as estalished three years prior, and see it comprehensively beaten.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent look at a memorable battle of the Great War. There is enough detail but not so much that the reader gets bogged down in numbers and names. It is an easy read and worth recommending. It was just unfortunate that Haig did not allow Plumer to have the necessary 3 days after the great triumph of June 7, 1917, to make his adjustments for continuing on. So many things might have been different.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive and very readable history of the battle.

Passingham does a great job describing the experience of commanders and soldiers. His analysis of the attack’s success is good. The coverage of the mining operations is pretty good, if not as in-depth as some readers may prefer. His portrait of Plumer is largely positive.

The narrative is informative and succeeds at bringing the war to life. Passingham does a good job analyzing the sources, and the first hand accounts he uses are pretty good. Some of the photos could have been reproduced better, and Passingham italicizes the names of German commanders for some reason, but those are the only quibbles I had.

A well-written and well-researched work.

[Naeem Shahani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eager to learn

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pillars of Fire: The Battle of Messines Ridge is a comprehensive study of the World War I battle at Messines. On the whole, author Ian Passingham is able to write in a clear, accessible manner – but there are moments where the writing seems dull and too focused on the small details. Additionally, there were a few sentences that seemed to make little sense, if at all. I would have preferred to hear about the people who fought at Messines, rather than detailed tactical plans and their execution. However, it seems clear that Passingham wrote Pillars of Fire to celebrate the tactical plans that led to the battle's success. Simply put, there was a mismatch between what the author intended and what the reader wanted.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This comprehensive book was a huge help in me researching how and where my great uncle was killed in WW1. A MUST-READ for anyone interrested in the battle of Messines. I highly recommend it!!!!