This book reminded me very much of L. Patry's The Reality of War, which was a French captain's memoir of the Franco-Prussian War. The memories of the actual soldier in the field in the midranks of the German army on the Western Front in WWI is presented as a novel, but it is the real deal.
Walter Bloem fought on the Western Front from Mons in Northern France until the withdrawal of German troops to entrenched positions after the so-called "Battle of the Marne." In reality the German High Command realized that their supply lines were far too long to sustain an army in the field, therefore, they had their engineers dig stout entrenchments on the high ground in France to hold the captured territory. They did not have the reserves of troops, nor the ability to sustain those troops, for an attack on Paris. Thus, they withdrew and entrenched.
Bloem vividly gives a blow by blow description of the early German advance in France. This advance was one of total victory until the German army could no longer supply their troops with essentials such as food and ammunition and withdrew to prepared entrenchments.
Bloem, like Patry three decades before him, gives a vivid picture of what it is like to command a company of men (for whom you are responsible and, as comrades, love and cherish) and all the attendant surprises by the enemy, your own higher command, and even the weather.
Since this book has been published as a "novel" (Bloem had to be cautious after the war not to be arrested for libel against his superiors) I can't give it a 5-star rating because it is not truly a history, nevertheless, it is as true as you can get while keeping mum the privacy of other individuals. It is an extremely readable book with the ring of truth all around it. I highly recommend it.

Walter Bloem was an aspiring novelist and officer in the reserves in the year 1914. He had reached a point in his life when he felt he could devote himself more to his passion of writing and the future looked promising--but in August 1914, that all changed with the outbreak of war. In a matter of days he went from being a genlteman and novelist to Captain and company commander in the 12th Brandenburg Grenadiers, which was part of III Corps in Kluck's Army. As an accomplished writer, what we have in The Advance from Mons is an astute and very readable account of the early weeks of the war from the perspective of a frontline officer. An excellent first-hand account--a must read for those with an interest in the Great War.

Walter Bloem was an aspiring novelist and officer in the reserves in the year 1914. He had reached a point in his life when he felt he could devote himself more to his passion of writing and the future looked promising--but in August 1914, that all changed with the outbreak of war. In a matter of days he went from being a genlteman and novelist to Captain and company commander in the 12th Brandenburg Grenadiers, which was part of III Corps in Kluck's Army. As an accomplished writer, what we have in The Advance from Mons is an astute and very readable account of the early weeks of the war from the perspective of a frontline officer. An excellent first-hand account--a must read for those with an interest in the Great War.