The battles fought at Estaires and Givenchy, just south of Ypres, in April 1918 were critical episodes in the larger Battle of Lys which determined the outcome of the ultimate German offensive on the Western Front. The massive assault of Ludendorff's armies crashed against defences manned by the British and Portuguese. A series of intense attacks and counter-attacks followed, and the Germans were on verge of gaining the decisive breakthrough that both sides on the Western Front had struggled for since the onset of trench warfare in late 1914. A German success might well have forced the British to retreat from Ypres. Phil Tomaselli's vivid account reconstructs events in the typical Battleground style. He describes the course of the fighting in close detail, using eyewitness accounts, official records, photographs and maps, and he provides walking and driving tours of the battlefield and of the monuments and cemeteries associated with it. AUTHOR: Phil Tomaselli has written extensively on military and family history and he has made a special study of the Western Front, in particular the decisive campaign of 1918. He has published many articles on aspects of army and air force history. SELLING POINTS: ? Vivid account of the opening battles fought on the Lys in April 1918 ? Insight into the armies, the tactics, the planning and the struggle on the battlefield ? Uses eyewitness testimony, official records, maps and photographs to reconstruct the fighting ? Features walking and driving tours of the battlefield ILLUSTRATIONS 100 images *
