Comparative ranks; Chronology; Abbreviations; Maps; Introduction; 1. Context; 2. Principles; 3. Organisation; 4. Personality; 5. Intelligence; 6. Communication; 7. Learning; 8. Performance; Conclusion.
A ground-breaking study of German operational command from November 1916 to the eve of the third battle of Ypres.
Dr Tony Cowan is a retired diplomat and member of the British Commission for Military History, Society of Military History and Western Front Association. He co-edited a translation of the German official monograph on the battle of Amiens (2019).
'Even the well-informed reader will learn much about how the
German army functioned from Holding Out. The book's conclusions go
far beyond 1917 and are important to sharpen our understanding of
the German army during the entire war. Cowan fights against the
idea of the German army being the 'benchmark' of military quality
and offers a much more nuanced picture of a military organism with
great strengths and great weaknesses.' Holger Afflerbach, author of
On a Knife Edge
'Tony Cowan's fascinating case study of the battles of early 1917
is a work of meticulous scholarship and deep insight which sets a
new standard for our understanding of war on the Western Front, and
of the strengths and weaknesses of the German army in the first
half of the twentieth century.' Jonathan Boff, author of Haig's
Enemy
'Holding Out demonstrates the power and resilience of the German
war machine by treating it as an organisation run by real, often
flawed, people working in situations of great stress and with
finite resources. For that reason it offers a far more convincing
appraisal of the German army in the First World War than the work
of its many apologists.' Paul Skrebels, Sabretache
'There is no doubt that the German army in the Great War was highly
professional and able to learn and adapt, that is why it was able
to hold out for so long in the face of increasingly unfavourable
odds. This dense, detailed and fascinating tour de force tells us
how it was done.' John Spencer, The Western Front Association
'… detailed and fascinating …' John Spencer, The Western Front
Association
'This book exudes Cowan's determination to bring the German army
down a peg, because of the mythologically impressive character to
which it has often been ascribed … The reader can gain from this
book further information to consider in understanding the
character, practices, and execution of an army that was by no means
perfect but that inarguably resisted the combined efforts of
powerful enemies on multiple fighting fronts for several years.'
Nicholas Sambaluk, H-Net Reviews
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
