SteveMarsdin Posted 8 November , 2011 Share Posted 8 November , 2011 Good evening, I have mentioned before that my friend, Jean-Claude Delhez, was due to release his most recent work this November. It is a two volume work on the Battle of the Frontiers and the first volume is out this month (the second volume will be out next year): http://www.destabul....lhez/delhez.php I haven't read a full transcript yet but have discussed some of the content with him and seen some of the photos he is using. Anyone who has read Terence Zuber's book on the same subject may be interested in reading an alternative but equally critical francophone account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 13 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 13 November , 2011 Good afternoon, The author, Jean-Claude Delhez, discusses the book here: http://www.tvlux.be/joomla/index.php/component/content/article/188/9108 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 13 November , 2011 Share Posted 13 November , 2011 Hi Steve. It does not seem to be listed on Amazon Fr. It seems like a very interesting work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 13 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 13 November , 2011 Hi Tom, It's only obtainable from local bookshops (ie. in the Gaume) and direct from Jean-Claude himself. I haven't got my copy yet but having discussed the content with him, although he reaches several of the same conclusions as Terence Zuber, I am sure it will give a different insight particularly from the French (and local Belgian) perspective. The lead up to and treatment of the various engagements should be the most interesting part of Volume 1 but I am also looking forward to Volume 2 (published in 2012) where he analyses the immediate aftermath, including the "limogeage" of various commanding officers. If you e-mail him, he'll give you a price for postage to UK; his English is fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 13 November , 2011 Share Posted 13 November , 2011 Hi Tom, It's only obtainable from local bookshops (ie. in the Gaume) and direct from Jean-Claude himself. I haven't got my copy yet but having discussed the content with him, although he reaches several of the same conclusions as Terence Zuber, I am sure it will give a different insight particularly from the French (and local Belgian) perspective. The lead up to and treatment of the various engagements should be the most interesting part of Volume 1 but I am also looking forward to Volume 2 (published in 2012) where he analyses the immediate aftermath, including the "limogeage" of various commanding officers. If you e-mail him, he'll give you a price for postage to UK; his English is fine. Thank you very much. I wish I could say the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 14 November , 2011 Share Posted 14 November , 2011 ...he reaches several of the same conclusions as Terence Zuber...The title says it all... Thanks Steve. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joerookery Posted 16 November , 2011 Share Posted 16 November , 2011 although he reaches several of the same conclusions as Terence Zuber, Steve, I am not trying to be flip. But what do you see those as? As my French is beyond horrible the spirit is willing but the language barrier is insurmountable for me. VR Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 16 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 16 November , 2011 Hi, I'm still awaiting my copy but from discussions with the author: Terence Zuber puts the result down to superior German training and combat leadership; Jean-Claude Delhez acknowledges this but stresses the poor French leadership up to army level. Both agree that it wasn't down to "offensive a l'outrance". There are other factors such as poor reconnaisance etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Claude Delhez Posted 20 November , 2011 Share Posted 20 November , 2011 Hello, I think the best answer to these questions is to come from the author. So I'll try to do so with my scholar english (having joined the Great War Forum today). I agree with Terence Zuber on 2 points : the Germans were better trained than the French the « offensive à outrance » did not exist, or so few But it is not the reason why the German won the battle of the Frontiers. They won because of the low level of the French infantry : red and blue uniforms, firing too high... Most important, the won because of the command. The German command was quite professionnal, generally the French also, but some generals made mistakes : not the GHQ (Joffre), but the army commanders and some of the corps, division and brigade chiefs. For example at the 4th Army, the colonial corps... A lot of them were fired after the battle. The question is : was the German command better than the average, or the French worst than the average ? I don't know. To answer this question, it needs an international research to compare the German command level to the level of command of the various countries the German fought (UK, US, Russia, Italy...). About the weapons on the battlefield, the main thing in August 1914 is not the infantry charging with blank weapons (bayonet) against machine guns (what did not exist, as I said before), but the use of guns (all types of guns, howitzers or not, heavy or not). The French failed to use aull their guns, the German didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr Posted 20 November , 2011 Share Posted 20 November , 2011 Jean Claude , soyez le bienvenue ! Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 21 November , 2011 Share Posted 21 November , 2011 Hi everyone, I am new in this forum and I got the link from Jean-Claude. I believe his book is a good opportunity to see the "Battle of borders" in another way we use to do. The book will probably bring some questions and controversies . We know the author; he is a very approachable person and we can share feelings with him, concerning his book. Good reading and enjoy the book. Regards, Alain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 21 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 21 November , 2011 Welcome Alain, With Jean Dauphin's legion d'honneur, the themed walk at Rossignol, the continued work of Jean Brees and now the release of volume one of Jean-Claude's book; the awareness of this important but often ignored early encounter can only continue to grow. ps. I think your posts and photos of the site of the "gros canon de Semide" are very interesting; as a minimum the site should be made secure and protected from further decay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yelob Posted 22 November , 2011 Share Posted 22 November , 2011 Welcome too to Alain and thanks for making me aware of this book as the Battle of the Frontiers is of great interest to me. I would love to buy it but I only have goodish schoolboy French-am I wasting my time? or will there be an English translation in the future? Best/Liam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Claude Delhez Posted 22 November , 2011 Share Posted 22 November , 2011 Hello Liam, We never know, but, by now, there is no english translation to come. The book is voluminous (672 pages), but it doesn't seem to me being too difficult to understand. May be the best for you should be to wait for an advice coming from an English reader (I presume Steve will soon receive his book). JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yelob Posted 22 November , 2011 Share Posted 22 November , 2011 Thanks Jean Claude and apologies as I meant to address my welcome to yourself too. Would dearly love to read your book as I am very interested in the war from the French perspective. Best Wishes,Liam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 22 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 22 November , 2011 Hi Liam, My mother-in-law is posting my copy to me. I''ll post a review as soon as I get AND read it (I don't read french as quick as Truthergow !). I know there are 50-60 photos many of which I am sure you won't have seen before. Jean-Claude has quite a collection of photos from August 1914 and although I don't know which ones he has used, I am sure you would find those he has interesting. Although I appreciated Terence Zuber's book one thing it did lack was photos ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 23 November , 2011 Share Posted 23 November , 2011 Welcome Alain, With Jean Dauphin's legion d'honneur, the themed walk at Rossignol, the continued work of Jean Brees and now the release of volume one of Jean-Claude's book; the awareness of this important but often ignored early encounter can only continue to grow. ps. I think your posts and photos of the site of the "gros canon de Semide" are very interesting; as a minimum the site should be made secure and protected from further decay. Hi everyone, Many thanks Steve and Liams for your greetings. My book is currently at home but I cannot read it now because it is a gift for Christmas Concerning Semide, it is really hard to convice people that it is important to save the site. They are only 5 same sites over France. The struggle still continu. I look forward to hearing for you soon about the book. Best regards Alain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 28 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 28 November , 2011 Good evening, I've now received my copy, courtesy of my mother-in-law; as it will take me sometime to read it from cover to cover, I thought I'd post a few initial thoughts based on a quick flick through and speed-reading a couple of battles that both Grasset and Zuber ("Battle of the Ardennes") described. Despite some minor criticisms (such as the diagrammatic maps are basic, which can be remedied by using them in conjunction with GoogleEarth) the 672 pages contains a wealth of detail with 40 pages of endnotes/references, plus incisive commmentary on (particularly) the French key players: three quick examples: the early military decisions of Roques (later to be Minister of War) and Grossetti (who later led on the Yser) are considered, the far right views and politics of Ruffey are highlighted. Not only is the failure of French reconnaisance stressed, the failure to use,interpret and disseminate that information that was obtained is also examined. The battles in the area just before the 22nd are described; not only the engagement at Hamipre/Longlier that Zuber also covers but that at Izel/Pin which had an "unexpected" effect on the fighting of the 22nd. What i have read so far reinforces my recommendation that, anyone who is happy to read French and has Zuber's Ardennes book, should get this to "complete the picture". Anyone interested in the early part of World War One and the French Army would also find it invaluable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 2 December , 2011 Share Posted 2 December , 2011 Thanks very much, Steve. And thank you to Jean-Claude for taking the time to write this book. It is on my list! Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 2 December , 2011 Share Posted 2 December , 2011 Hello Liam, We never know, but, by now, there is no english translation to come. The book is voluminous (672 pages), but it doesn't seem to me being too difficult to understand. May be the best for you should be to wait for an advice coming from an English reader (I presume Steve will soon receive his book). JC I would be happy to translate it as long as you organise the publisher and the fee! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Bennitt Posted 2 December , 2011 Share Posted 2 December , 2011 I would be happy to translate it as long as you organise the publisher and the fee! me too! getting my cheque book out anyway cheers Martin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Claude Delhez Posted 2 December , 2011 Share Posted 2 December , 2011 Hello everyone, And thank you to all the translaters ! You know, the book has just been published in french for three weeks. It is quite new. I'm not sure someone has entirely read it up to now, even in France and Belgium. And it's just the first part ! There's a second one, I hope to publish next year. The first part deals with the beginning of the war and ends on the 22nd of august 1914, the worst day of the war for french and german casualties (and desagree with Zuber's Battle of the Ardennes on many points). The second part will concern the following days and show a lot of conclusions. These conclusions may be the most interesting part of the books. It's about the "limogeages", the casualties, the tactital, the economical consequences, and so on. I think, more than a translation (because ot the large amount of pages), a summary could be exciting for English readers. As I said before, we never know. Jean-Claude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Holstein Posted 3 December , 2011 Share Posted 3 December , 2011 Hello Jean-Claude, I just tried to message you to order a copy of your book but the system does not allow it. Steve, if I PM you, could you pass the message on? I've got your book on the German cavalry in the Gaume and really look forward to your new one. Christina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 4 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 4 December , 2011 Hello Jean-Claude, I just tried to message you to order a copy of your book but the system does not allow it. Steve, if I PM you, could you pass the message on? I've got your book on the German cavalry in the Gaume and really look forward to your new one. Christina That's the one I'm missing Christina !; I've got the French Cavalry in the Gaume and Jean-Claude's other WW1 and 2 books. I don't think Jean-claude has 5 posts so the PM system won't work. His e-mail address is on his web-page (see my first post(s). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Holstein Posted 4 December , 2011 Share Posted 4 December , 2011 Hi Steve, Thanks, I should have noticed the webpage. I'll email Jean-Claude directly. Lucky you having a copy of the French cavalry book. I never managed to get hold of that one. The information on the German cavalry is wonderful. Christina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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