An Officer's Manual of the Western Front 1914-1918

by Stephen Bull

The Great War was a ferment of new ideas and weapons, from gas and flame throwers to super-heavy artillery, concrete bunkers, tanks, and aircraft. Meanwhile, older methods, such as machine guns and armor, were deployed in innovative ways. All these developments were documented in contemporary publications and manuals. This compendium of extracts and illustrations covers the trench experience, giving not only a popular nostalgic view of the “war to end wars,” but a rounded picture of how it was.

 

Genres: War, Military History, Nonfiction, History

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Dropbear123 · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/5 rounding up to 3 for Goodreads.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover design and the weird advertisements on the endpapers makes it look as if this volume is intended to tap into the The Dangerous Book For Boys market. The contents, reproductions of training materials issued to officers during the First World War, are for the most part pretty dry stuff, however.

I do not have the sort of mind that's able to examine a diagram from 1916 and deduce infantry tactics when advancing on an enemy position; I'd have made a rubbish officer. But there are some interesting snapshots of trench life to be found.

[Danny Whatmough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um... Yeah.

I don't really know what I expected, it was a gift from a friend and it was interesting.
I'll try and hold off on comments that I feel aren't the book itself's fault but rather the style it is (for example there little in the way of discussing individual soldiers personal lives but why would strategic guidebooks cover that).

Can be quite a dull read in places and the diagrams can be a little difficult to make heads or tails from due to their placement in relation to the sections that talk about them.

In other places it can be quite interesting to see the theory and basis of some of the strategy used in that war and how different some of the terminology and mind set at to what I assumed to be the norm.

I'm torn on it, part of me found it a dull read without much to hold my interest and another part of me is sat here wishing it had gone into more aspects of the war like tank usage and the like.
Hence 4 stars, because it's good, I'm just mixed on it

[Robin Braysher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nicely produced introduction to the pamphlets and training manuals produced by the British Army during the First World War. A fascinating, rather than an entertaining read, I don't recommend it if you're not already familiar with the First World War, as it won't mean much! It is, though, an excellent accompaniment to a 'trench memoir' or unit history. It gives a flavour of the many things soldiers had to be taught and to remember and shows that the British Army did learn and develop.

[Sean Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covers a lot of the logistical and engineering side to trench warfare and includes a good selection of diagrams that can help to explain things better. Depending on how familiar you are with military linguistics, some of the book might either make complete sense or go a bit over your head.

[Thomas B · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an officer i bought this to glean any nuggets of historical leadership doctrine but this book focuses more on the procedures and logistics of eatablishing, manning, and fighting from trenches. A fascinating insight into the expected daily lives of soldiering in the bleakest of circumstances, i imagine soldiers will read this and sympathies with their ancestors plight in the face of the enemy and regimental bulls#!+ demanded from them.

[Ed Crutchley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book comprises a selection of guidelines and regulations issued to officers during WW1. There are a number of drawn illustrations from original manuals. The whole comprises an extremely useful research tool for many aspects of life in the trenches and officers’ duties.