by Nick Lloyd
First published 2006
Lloyd challenges conventional understanding of one of the British Expeditionary Force's bloodiest engagements on the Western Front. The Battle of Loos stretched across three brutal weeks in 1915, marking the first time British forces deployed poison gas and sending New Army divisions packed with civilian volunteers into combat. British troops initially punched two miles deep into German defenses before losing momentum. Unable to hold their gains, they retreated from the German second line in chaos after nearly 60,000 casualties. Lloyd places these events within their broader political and strategic framework while examining how commanders controlled their forces and the harsh tactical realities soldiers faced. His analysis moves beyond the finger-pointing that followed the battle's failure to offer readers a fresh perspective on this pivotal moment in the war.
Genres: history, 20th-century, non-fiction, military-history, world-war-i, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction, military-strategy
Setting: Loos, Western Front
Period: 1915
320 pages · Hardcover · Tempus