Z Day 1st July 1916. Alan MacDonald.

[trenchtrotter]

A study of VIII Corps attack at Beaumont Hamel and Serre.

Well I have just finished this book by forum member BMAC. I thoroughly commend it. I thought I had read all that could be said about the fighting at Serre to the Ancre 1/7/16. How wrong. Thank you for this truly epic volume.

The style is easy to read and I feel this is a wonderful continuation of the project started with the two books on Gommecourt.

Thank you and well done.

TT

PS I think your right Hunter Weston was insane!

[bmac]

Cheers.Very kind.

[John_Hartley]

This is the third offering from Alan MacDonald (better known to us here as Bill McCormick or “bmac”).

As before, its focus is a sector of the Somme battlefield on 1 July 1916. In this case VIII Corps’ attack at Beaumont Hamel and Serre. And, as before, it’s an extensive book running to over 700 pages. The research and the level of detail is amazing. It’s well written and well peppered with pithy comment. Nothing seems excluded – no small trench raid, no bungle nor act of butchery. There are many photographs of officers mentioned in the narrative and even more of them feature in the biographical footnotes on many of the pages (and, indeed, the footnotes often take up much of the page).

Although I have little direct interest in this sector, I’m happy to have the volume on my shelves. I suppose as Bill is working the battlefield north to south, I still have several years to wait for the critique of 30^th Division’s performance on the day.

[bmac]

"Although I have little direct interest in this sector, I’m happy to have the volume on my shelves. I suppose as Bill is working the battlefield north to south, I still have several years to wait for the critique of 30^th Division’s performance on the day."

Decades the way work is progressing. X Corps at the moment plus 350 pages on a book about the planning of the attack. Couldn't say when either will be ready. Getting Wimbledon and the World Cup off the TV would help. At least I don't have to bother watching England play cricket. We already know the result. Anyways, thanks for the mention.

[bruce]

On 29/06/2014 at 11:28, bmac said:

 

"Although I have little direct interest in this sector, I’m happy to have the volume on my shelves. I suppose as Bill is working the battlefield north to south, I still have several years to wait for the critique of 30^th Division’s performance on the day."

Decades the way work is progressing. X Corps at the moment plus 350 pages on a book about the planning of the attack. Couldn't say when either will be ready. Getting Wimbledon and the World Cup off the TV would help. At least I don't have to bother watching England play cricket. We already know the result. Anyways, thanks for the mention.

Any news on the next book?

 

bruce