Loos - Hill 70: French Flanders (Battleground Europe)

For those who have toured the battlefields of the Ypres Salient and the Somme, and want a different large-scale WW1 battle to visit and get their teeth into, the Battle of Loos is a good choice. Remarkably little has changed in the 98 years since what was at the time Britain's largest battle ever. It is still flat, and dotted with nineteenth century slag heaps, but is mostly farmland. Whilst the old villages have been rebuilt, there are no new housing estates or factories unlike many other parts of the Western Front.I have recently returned from five days of battlefield touring with my brother, which included two days walking the Loos battlefield where our grandfather fought in 1915. Andrew Rawson's two books in the Battlefield Europe series (this for the southern half of the battlefield, and the other, Loos-Hohenzollern, which covers the northern half) were indispensable to us in understanding this complex battle. Rawson divides the battlefield up into sectors, each a minor battle in itself, gives a detailed description of what happened and supplies detailed walks that enable the reader to understand each phase of the battle. In particular he suggests good places to park (very useful since these are not always that obvious on some very fast roads), and paths that give the best views and access to various features, without trampling on farmers crops or causing a nuisance to others.A section at the end on the local war cemeteries is particularly useful allowing one to find which cemetery relates to the dead of which phase of the battle, and where to find famous graves such as V.C. winners and Rudyard Kipling's son John Kipling (whose recent grave identification is now regarded as rather doubtful).For anyone touring this battlefield, or with a serious interest in the Battle of Loos, this book and its companion are indispensable.

Immediate response to my order. Great service . Thank you a- I recommend

Another one to my collection

This book,together with its fellow on the Hohenzollern sector, is lifted above the norm from this series by its excellent elevated panoramic views of the battlefield from 1915.Every feature is highlighted.A modern tourist,standing on the roof of the "Dud Corner" cemetary, with this volume and a pair of binoculars would have very little left to his imagination.(Only the massive Tower Bridge is missing!)I mention this because at ground level,both Hill 70 and the Hohenzollern Redoubt are virtually invisible.As someone who has walked and cycled over this whole area this guide gets my strong recomendation.

I thought this book was brilliant. It was really interesting and full of information. The photographs were excellent, and I just can't help picking it up again and again to have another read!! I recommend this book to anyone wanting to read and learn more about the war. I can't wait to buy another book from the series!

This is a very good little book about the battle of Loos and in particular Hill 70. The text is good, but the inclusion of detailed maps showing trenches and redoubts makes it indispensible.

I Volunteer at the National World War Museum in Kansas City and I picked the battle of Loos for our volunteer study group. This Battle took place September 25-October 1915 in the coal region of Northern France resulted in 60,000 British casulties. Gas will be used for the first time by the allies. The Germans earlier at the second Battle of Yeper. This Battle is mostly forgot and overshadow by the Battles of the Somme and Verdun, but it was important for lessons learned both on the Allied side and for the Central Powers. Highly recommend

A great book with epic battles!