Thilo von Bose’s 1930 book The Catastrophe of 8 August 1918 was the 36th and last volume in a series of popular semi-official German histories of the First World War. It documents in great detail the ‘black day of the German Army’ at the Battle of Amiens in August 1918, a turning point that set the Allies on the road to victory just 100 days later. With considerable moral courage, Bose describes the causes and catastrophic nature of the defeat inflicted by a combined force of Australian, Canadian, French and British troops. Alongside his powerful critique of the failure of German command, Bose tells the human story of German soldiers as individuals rather than an anonymous field-grey mass. This new edition of his important book presents the original German text in parallel with the first ever English translation. The introduction, appendices, maps and photographs explain and illustrate the historical and military context, allowing the reader to navigate an easy path through Bose’s account. This unique combination of content makes the book a key source in introducing a new audience to scholarship on the First World War and will also assist those keen to research the German side of the conflict in more depth.
