Christina Holstein Knihy

Well mapped and profusely illustrated walking tours over key parts of the battlefield. GPS references for the waypoints of the tours.

The bitter fight for Fort Vaux is one of the most famous episodes in the Battle of Verdun - it has achieved almost legendary status in French military history. The heroic resistance put up by the fort's commander, Major Raynal, and his small, isolated garrison in the face of repeated German assaults was remarkable at the time, and it is still seen as an outstanding example of gallantry and determination. But what really happened inside the besieged fort during the German attacks, and how can visitors to the Verdun battlefield get an insight into the extraordinary events that took place there almost a century ago? In this precise, accessible account, Christina Holstein, one of the leading authorities on the Verdun battlefield and its monuments, reconstructs the fight for the fort in graphic day-by-day detail. Readers get a vivid sense of the sequence of events, of the intense experience of the defenders and a wider understanding of the importance of Fort Vaux in the context of the German 1916 offensive.

First detailed account in English of this vital period of the Battle of Verdun.

Verdun 1916 - in popular memory the greatest of the Great War battles between the French and the Germans.

The book offers a detailed guide to the battlefield of Verdun, site of one of World War I's most brutal confrontations. It highlights significant locations, such as the site of Colonel Driant's death and key forts like Douaumont and Vaux. Through a series of walks, the author, Christina Holstein, provides insights into the historical and emotional weight of these sites, enhancing the reader's understanding of the battle's impact on France and Germany. This exploration serves as both a memorial and a historical recounting of the enduring legacy of Verdun.