World's Greatest Twentieth Century Battlefields

Synopsis

This is the story of the most intense and bitterly fought battles of the twentieth century, and their lasting impact on the world. From Amiens in the First World War to the First Gulf War in 1990-1, each of the battles featured in this book marked a turning point in military history. Political journalist, Peter Snow and military historian Dan Snow have written a high-octane, gripping narrative, punctuated by powerful eyewitness testimony that brings to life the experience of war. They reveal that these battles were shaped not just by distant military commanders but by men fighting on the frontline, whether the apocalyptic terrain of the Western Front or the hidden guerilla tunnels of Vietnam. What were the key factors that swayed the course of victory? Was it sheer grit and determination, military intelligence or strategic initiative? To answer these questions the authors take us into the heat of the action when the battles were poised on a knife edge and split-second decisions determined their outcome. During the course of the twentieth century, military warfare reached unimaginable levels of intensity, scale and cost. "The World's Greatest Twentieth Century Battlefields" looks back at the most violent century in history and examines the challenges facing armed forces in the future. Richly illustrated with archive photographs and over 40 detailed maps, this compelling and often shocking account recreates the landscape of warfare.