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An alternative title for this book might well have been 'the unknown army of the Western Front'. Over the last twenty years scholars have transformed our views of the British Army of 1914-18, basing their findings on primary archival research. In contrast, the French Army of the period has largely remained a closed book, at least for an Anglophone audience. Given the size and the importance of the French contribution, this has inevitably warped understanding of the First World War, and the dichotomy between our knowledge of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and its senior partner has become acute in recent times. Anthony clayton's study of the French Army of the Great War is thus both timely and welcome.
Dr Clayton is an acknowledged authority on the French Army, and his book is a valuable overview of the subject, bringing together a good deal of information in a readable fashion. He has drawn upon important work carried out by French scholars, together with some primary research of his own....