The Battlefields of World War One - The Unseen Panoramas of the Wester

[Kevin Marples]

BATTLEFIELDS OF WORLD WAR ONE - THE UNSEEN PANORAMAS OF THE WESTERN FRONT, BY PETER BARTON AND RICHARD HOLMES (IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM)

If it has not already come up for discussion, can I direct attention to this recently released book (2005), which contains contemporary panoramic photographs of the front line battlefields along the whole of the British held sectors of the Western Front.

Apart from actually seeing the battlefields as our forfathers did, these photos were taken for intelligence purposes and are annotated as such identifying the locations of the features which have become familiar to many of us e.g. The Bluff, Maple Copse, Sanctuary Woodd,Big Z and Little Z etc etc. The book also contains detailed maps of each sector and sub-sector to the degree of actually showing the locations of these features as well as the Trench patterns and their names together with explanatory text.

As a research tool I am finding this book an invaluable aid in helping locate the movements of my grandfathers battalion (1/6th Btn Sherwood Foresters) "for real" with the aid of the Battalion War Diary adding an extra dimension to my research. Eerily the dates some of these panoramas wer taken coincide with the times his regiment were in the line.

Unfortunately copyright law forbids me to show examples of this book and at £50 (although it is a BIG book) an expensive investment but one I couldn't resist. I strongly recomend members to view a copy through libraries, bookshops etc. and look forward to your comments and views.

[Papineau]

I suspect this is mentioned elsewhere, but you can buy it for £35 on Amazon post free. Well worth every penny, no matter what price you pay.

[mikebriggs]

Totally agree

I bought mine from Amazon also (for £33 and free postage) - arrived yesterday and I've been engrossed ever since!

I'm also interested in the 1/6th Foresters and was fascinated by the Gommecourt panorama’s and in particular the Z’s.

We were last there only last summer (my 9 year old son unfortunately stumbled across the remains of a pelvis this time at the edge of a field) and it was ….somehow strange… to see these pictures taken so soon before the carnage

Mike

[Chris Best]

What a deal, what a book. Go get it.

PS: Could someone remind me of the deal for GWF by buying through Amazon? And how does Amazon recognize that a purchaser has come to them via GWF once the purchaser logs into their own account?

Chris