Tannenberg 1914
Richard Holmes' Fields of Battle series takes up one of the most important, least heralded battles of World War I, the German victory over the Russians in East Prussia in August-September 1914. Its consequences for the Western Front, emphasized in conventional historiography, are actually less important than its consequences for the Eastern, for with it the Germans acquired an ultimately decisive strategic edge over the Russians that affected the entire course of the war in different ways. They won that edge fairly--their strategy, logistics, and communications were all vastly superior to that of their opponents, who with only sheer courage and determination couldn't bring their superior infantry strength and weight of artillery into play. Those circumstances Sweetman points up in a clear and balanced narrative that makes necessary concessions to World War I novices without alienating their sophisticated brethren. Meanwhile, the copious illustrations and maps are to be treasured.Roland GreenCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved