The Great War by two soldiers who wore field grey English translations of first hand accounts by ordinary German soldiers of the First World War are comparatively scarce, so the two accounts in this special Leonaur 'two-in-one' volume will be particularly welcomed by students of the subject. Both narratives were written during war, so they offer a frank, disturbing and starkly candid view of the Imperial German Army both on campaign and on the field of battle in the opening and middle phases of the war. The first account, written by a sapper, concerns the invasion of Belgium and follows the writer through street fighting to the crossing of the Meuse. The author fought during the Battle of the Marne, and in the subsequent retreat, before being transferred to serve on the Argonne front. The conflict at Vauquois features prominently. The author later deserted which predictably influences the tone of the writing.The second narrative was written by an infantry Feldwebel of the 88th regiment serving in the 21st Division, 18th Army Corps. This is an account of hard campaigning at the sharp end of war. The author was involved in many significant and hard fought engagements including the Battle of the Marne and the march into France; a transfer to fight on the Galician front was followed by a return to the Western Front to for the Battle of Champagne and finally to the carnage of Verdun where the author was seriously wounded. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.
