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This entry in the Battleground series examines the fighting on the southern half of the battlefield on the first four days of the Battle of the Lys, one of the series of German offensives that nearly broke the Allied lines in the spring of 1918.
This book differs from the other entries I've read in this series, with more emphasis on an account of the fighting and a smaller section of battlefield tours. That format works well here - the battle was a complex one, but fought over a comparatively small area. It was essentially a fighting retreat, with the British and their allies pulling back at no more than the speed of a marching man.
The account of the fighting is clear and well organized. Plenty of eyewitness accounts, maps and photographs are used to support the text, and there is a good introduction as well as a brief account of the rest of the battle.
The section of tours includes three walks, a driving tour of the 55th divisional area and notes on other places of interest.
Chapters
1 - Troops and their Dispositions
2 - 9 April: Break-in on the Laventie Front
3 - Defence of the Lawe Crossings
4 - 10 April: Forcing the Lawe Crossings
5 - 11 April: Fall of Vieille Chapelle
6 - 12 April: The Breakthrough Contained - Just
7 - The Later Battle
8 - Tours
Author: Phil Tomaselli
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 176
Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
Year: 2011