Ebook Maj and Mrs Holt Battlefield Guide Ypres Salient Passchendaele Tonie Holt Valmai Holt 9780850525519 Books

Download As PDF : Maj and Mrs Holt Battlefield Guide Ypres Salient Passchendaele Tonie Holt Valmai Holt 9780850525519 Books

"Covering the important WW1 Battles of Ypres, including the notorious Passchendaele, this guidebook takes readers on a historic trip through some of the well-known and most important sites of the area. This book, part of a new series of guides, is designed conveniently in a small size, for those who have only limited time to visit, or who are simply interested in as an introduction to the historic battlefields, whether on the ground or from an armchair. They contain selections from the Holts' more detailed guides of the most popular and accessible sites plus handy tourist information, capturing the essential features of the Battles. The book contains many full color maps and photographs and detailed instructions on what to see and where to visit."

Ebook Maj and Mrs Holt Battlefield Guide Ypres Salient Passchendaele Tonie Holt Valmai Holt 9780850525519 Books

"Having seriously panned their book on the Somme as a fake "battlefield guide" and having already bought this book prior to my disappointing experience with that one, I thought I would try to use it at the Ypres Salient to see if I had been unfair in my former review. Fortunately or unfortunately, I now think I went too easy on them the first time.

I, again, was frustrated that a book sold as a "battlefield guide" has only at most a tangential interest in the actual battle. If your objective is to learn about the why, where and how of these battles this book is useless.

To be fair, on the other hand if your interest is the grave sites of long forgotten poets, artists, intellectuals, or sportsmen (that is their headstones, not where or how they fought and died) then this is your book.

Having expressed my feelings to my very qualified British battlefield guide recently, I think he may have put the whole question in the most accurate perspective. His theory is that because of the horrible yet heroic experience of England ( and the commonwealth countries) the history of that war has come down to the average Englishman, and very understandably so, in the context of the unbelievable sacrifice of the gallant soldiers (in far too many cases a revered relative) forever buried far from home. Unless they are a serious student of history they have only been superficially exposed to the military or political history or implications of the actual fighting. So, he thinks, these books are really designed for and sold to British tourist in buses on a day trip from London for their first visit to a battlefield, any battlefield, who haven't read a word about WWI since they left school but do know the family stories about great uncle Fred whose body was never found. They glide obliviously by the actual scene of the fighting without stopping in order to have more time for human interest stories at the grave of, for instance, a famous four time Wimbledon champion.

And if he is right, fair enough. Everyone can, and must, experience a battlefield in their own way. But, at the risk of being repetitive, the even mildly informed student of the actual battles themselves, who is there to gain a better understanding of what happened and how, will ultimately do what I did - throw this book away mid-trip.

Alternatively, for that "mildly informed student", there is a splendid series of small books specifically about the same battles by Jack Sheldon and/or Nigel Cave that are far superior to the Holt's series in every way."

Product details Paperback 288 pages Publisher Pen and Sword (April 19, 1998) Language English ISBN-10 0850525519

Tags : Maj and Mrs. Holt's Battlefield Guide Ypres Salient - Passchendaele [Tonie Holt, Valmai Holt] on . Covering the important WW1 Battles of Ypres, including the notorious Passchendaele, this guidebook takes readers on a historic trip through some of the well-known and most important sites of the area. This book,Tonie Holt, Valmai Holt,Maj and Mrs. Holt's Battlefield Guide Ypres Salient - Passchendaele,Pen and Sword,0850525519,Ieper (Belgium) - History, Military,Ieper (Belgium);History, Military.,World War, 1914-1918 - Battlefields - Belgium - Ieper,World War, 1914-1918 - Campaigns - Belgium - Ieper,World War, 1914-1918;Battlefields;Belgium;Ieper;Guidebooks.,World War, 1914-1918;Campaigns;Belgium;Ieper.,Battlefields,Belgium,Campaigns,GENERAL,General Adult,Guidebooks,History,History - Military / War,History / Military / World War I,History/World,History World,Ieper,Military - World War I,Non-Fiction,Reference / Atlases, Gazetteers Maps (see also TRAVEL / Maps Road Atlases),Travel holiday guides,World War, 1914-1918,World history,World history First World War

Maj and Mrs Holt Battlefield Guide Ypres Salient Passchendaele Tonie Holt Valmai Holt 9780850525519 Books Reviews :

Maj and Mrs Holt Battlefield Guide Ypres Salient Passchendaele Tonie Holt Valmai Holt 9780850525519 Books Reviews

• Having seriously panned their book on the Somme as a fake "battlefield guide" and having already bought this book prior to my disappointing experience with that one, I thought I would try to use it at the Ypres Salient to see if I had been unfair in my former review. Fortunately or unfortunately, I now think I went too easy on them the first time.
  
  I, again, was frustrated that a book sold as a "battlefield guide" has only at most a tangential interest in the actual battle. If your objective is to learn about the why, where and how of these battles this book is useless.
  
  To be fair, on the other hand if your interest is the grave sites of long forgotten poets, artists, intellectuals, or sportsmen (that is their headstones, not where or how they fought and died) then this is your book.
  
  Having expressed my feelings to my very qualified British battlefield guide recently, I think he may have put the whole question in the most accurate perspective. His theory is that because of the horrible yet heroic experience of England ( and the commonwealth countries) the history of that war has come down to the average Englishman, and very understandably so, in the context of the unbelievable sacrifice of the gallant soldiers (in far too many cases a revered relative) forever buried far from home. Unless they are a serious student of history they have only been superficially exposed to the military or political history or implications of the actual fighting. So, he thinks, these books are really designed for and sold to British tourist in buses on a day trip from London for their first visit to a battlefield, any battlefield, who haven't read a word about WWI since they left school but do know the family stories about great uncle Fred whose body was never found. They glide obliviously by the actual scene of the fighting without stopping in order to have more time for human interest stories at the grave of, for instance, a famous four time Wimbledon champion.
  
  And if he is right, fair enough. Everyone can, and must, experience a battlefield in their own way. But, at the risk of being repetitive, the even mildly informed student of the actual battles themselves, who is there to gain a better understanding of what happened and how, will ultimately do what I did - throw this book away mid-trip.
  
  Alternatively, for that "mildly informed student", there is a splendid series of small books specifically about the same battles by Jack Sheldon and/or Nigel Cave that are far superior to the Holt's series in every way.
• Very detailed and thorough, revisions updating miles to kilometers on distances, and adding some GPS coordinate references. I am using this book to help plan a trip to the area, it will make planning MUCH easier. The historical data added to each location helps bring understanding to what happened at each location. First-rate!!
• Excellent guide when incorporated with their map.