by Paul Jankowski.
"Many of the reviews on amazon for this book seem to have missed the forest for the trees. Most were expecting a detailed history of the battle of Verdun. That is, as per the usual military history of a single, significant battle, a rather limited history leading up to the battle should have been presented, and then the battle itself detailed, studied, and analyzed, followed up by its impact on the war and the lessons derived from it to this day.
However, Jankowski has presented a rather different version of a history of Verdun. That is, he's created a history of the 'idea' that the Battle of Verdun represented during the war, immediately after, and up to the present. The author offers no linear narrative going through the beginning, middle, and end of this battle since in reality no such plans existed. Chapters jump around in regards to time, place, events, etc. The battle, in some sense, evolved on its own and the chaos that followed had to be put into a narrative of its own by those reporting on it and post-war histories and memoirs. The creation of that story, the memory/memories of Verdun, is what Jankowski is tracking, in some sense, and expanding on the myths that the battle left in its wake…"
Full review here
link
link
Amicalement
Armand