Danielle Duarte
Mr. Pointer
History per2
3/7/10

The Price OF Glory
Verdun 1916, Book Critique

The intent and purpose Alistair Horne, author of the book The Price Of Glory, Verdun 1916, had made for the writing of this book was to in great detail explain the main events and the leading up to of the great battle of Verdun, which was considered to be the longest and bloodiest battle in the first world war and "The war to end all wars." Before war Verdun was an unimportant town, but had a great significance to France and Germany. Verdun had become a matter of pride between the two contenders. This book contains a good and well-written overview of the battle, but I don't believe there was a tremendous need for this to have been written, besides the fact that it is tremendously excellent source of knowledge of the battle and occurring events at the western front with stories of soldier troops and generals plans to conquer.
Horne had relied on evidence from bibliographical sources from many people alive during the war. Alistair Horne claims that any book dealing with the First War would be lacking without a reference to the Imperial War Museum and a trip to a documentation of the University of Paris, these are some of his main sources used through out the book. Throughout the pages there are multiple intellectual illustrations of generals, lieutenants, groups of troops and officers at Verdun, forts from each side, and propaganda at a base hospital, these photographs are well placed within the books and are good for giving the reader an almost feel of being there. Included are also cartoons that show skeletons being placed which also portray death. Various places within the book are maps and plans of the western front and plans of forts Douaumont and fort Vaux. These graphics used are very established; they are very well placed and put where needed for a better understanding of the book. Each picture or graph has an understandable caption, are used where needed but is mostly in middle of the book, and is well introduced that luckily does not leave the reader in disarray.
Throughout the book the authors persuasion was well done, it was noticeable that the author had studied the topic very much, because it was clear that he understood what he was writing about. So yes, the author had persuaded me and the point being made had been interpreted and understood. Though the book had been well written by an author that had a full understanding of what was being written, the book in entirety actually bored me and I could not completely grasp what I had been reading after I had read it, it was a little to long for my liking especially when the book was boring me. Over all I do not deem that it would bore every person that would read this book. This book that had been based off of the battle of Verdun was not utterly a waste of mine or the authors of time because it is very well done and is exceedingly strong in information and effort put into the book. I would advise some one to read this book if they were looking for good information on the battle in that time period during world war I, or was into historical events, so I would say yes read it if that is the type of book genre a person is willing to read.

For what looks like a trade market paperback, the content kept me turning the pages. The author introduces you to key figures that assist with personal connection to the narrative. I found myself barracking for whichever side Horne was focussing on - you could feel the passion and often the bitterness of the battles - the sadness of the continuous losses was also very keen. I love these type of books that focus in on specific battles and therefore recommend this book to amateur historians such as myself and even to casual readers.

I gave the book only 4 stars because of two letdowns:

First - Horne used a number of French and German quotes in the book that were left untranslated. This was frustrating as I always wondered whether this added to the personal storyline and I couldn't understand it.

Second - there was only TWO maps in the book! This is war history 101 when it comes to producing this type of book. I, as the reader, need constant updates with maps showing attacks & defensive positions etc.

I would have also appreciated more photographs - but there was sufficient. The updated reprint may have corrected this anomalies.

Other than the two complaints above - you will not be disappointed. I promise.

"The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916" is a great work of military history that examines one of the most brutal, terror-filled episodes in one of the most brutal, terror-filled wars in human history. Horne's account of this battle is well written and easily accessible without sacrificing the depth and detail necessary for a true understanding of this engagement.

By late 1915, with its armies in virtual deadlock with its enemies throughout Europe, Germany decides upon a bold gamble. Conceived by General von Falkyenhayn, the German Army Chief-of-Staff, the attack upon the French fortress city of Verdun was prepared to break the stalemate. The objective of this battle was as chilling as it was desperate: Germany could afford to lose more men than France, hence the attack would not be one to achieve a 'breakthrough' or to capture some vital sector of the line, the battle would be one of attrition, one which was designed to bleed the French Army dry before it bled the German Army dry. Horne chronicles this plan and the opening moves as the German Crown Prince leads his army into the cauldron.

Horne expertly relates the many stories of heroism and folly within this battle; from the surprise storming of one French fortress to the hopeless but valiant defense of another; from the reshuffling of German commanders to the creation of a supply system for the besieged town; from the desperate realization by the Germans that the plan is not working to the even more desperate French realization that their line could fall apart at any minute.

This is an important book about one of the bloodiest chapters in human history and a necessary component to any World War I education. Highly recommended.

The Price of Glory is one of the best histories I've read in months--and as a graduate student in history, I have been inundated with books of such varying quality that something as good as this must stand out. Horne's history of the Battle of Verdun has it all: political intrigue, grand strategy, shocking battlefield horror and some truly moving stories of guts--and glory.

Verdun had been a relatively quiet sector until 1916, when the German army attacked and nearly overwhelmed the French army units holding the line there. The defenses were centered on a string of disused fortresses, and it became the German army's all-consuming obsession to capture these fortresses. The battle almost immediately stalled when the Germans found they could not move their artillery over the bombed-out landscape they had created, and so the Battle of Verdun turned into a contest of attrition, with each side throwing numbers and materiel at the other until someone cried "uncle."

It is part of Horne's purpose constantly to remind us of the tremendous loss of life on both sides, and of the stupidity with which war during World War I was waged. He draws very colorful depictions of the major figures involved, including the almost bovine Marshal Joffre of the French army--soon to be relieved by Petain--the eerily impersonal Feldmarschal Falkenhayn, who commanded the German attack, and even the "minor" players who took and retook positions from one another. But the book is not only a well-written, informative history, it is also exciting. A number of passages describing hotly contested moments on the battlfield--such as two incidents involving attacks on the French fortresses by German shock troops--are as thrilling as any novels I've read.

If the book has any one flaw, it is that, while Horne points out that Verdun was the longest battle in the war--and perhaps in history--he focuses primarily on the first few months of the ten-month ordeal. One wishes he had fleshed out the final months in more detail, but the book is otherwise so good that this seems like a minor quibble.

The Price of Glory is a thrilling and informative history of one of the most brutal and tragic battles in world history.

Highly recommended.

Alistair Horne has written a nearly poetic history of the Battle of Verdun.

What I really enjoyed about this book was Horne's insight into the psychology of First World War France, and how this fed directly into the battle, and how the battle in turn shaped the French mentality for years to come.

I also enjoyed the detailed and descriptive accounts of the fighting. Just the right mix of high command-level strategic perspective blended with the average soldier's perspective. Although I'm sure its impossible to know fully, I feel I did finish this book with at least some semblance of what it was like to be a soldier in the horror that occurred at Verdun.

Horne is clearly a gifted writer. He covers a lot of material, but it is always written in clear language that conveys the gritty details in an absorbing way. Parts of this book clearly must have inspired Keegan's approach to "The Face of Battle" and its gritty, realistic descriptions of trench warfare.

If I have one complaint about the book its that it is primarily a French perspective, but this is understandable given Horne's objective in writing his trilogy. And, to be fair, there are several fascinating anecdotes of the German experience. But I am definitely on a lookout for a book on the German perspective of this terrible battle.

Highly recommended.

This is the second book in Horne's excellent trilogy on the three Franco-German conflicts that spanned a 70 year period. The first book is "The Fall of Paris" which concerns the 1870-71 war, and the last book is "To Lose a Battle" which concerns the Second World War, with the focus on the 1940 French debacle. Of the three, this one is my favorite. There is no question that Alistair Horne is one of the preeminent historians of the 20th Century, earning him a very justified knighthood, and even a place on the bookshelf in the Bush White House, of all places, for his equally excellent "A Savage War of Peace."

Horne writes history as it should be, describing in equal measure "the big picture" while also detailing the agonizing particulars in the case histories of certain soldiers. He provides an initial chapter, entitled "La Debacle" which succinctly outlining the antecedents to WW I, in the conflict of 1870, including the change in strategic thinking which led to the mistakes made at Verdun. It seems the "pendulum" of offensive / defensive thinking always "over swings" among the three conflicts. His aftermath and epilogue sections are equally well done, as he describes the effects of the battle on the participants and even many non-participants, 50, and probably even a 100 years later. Consider that the French rallying cry at Verdun: "They shall not pass" was co-opted by the O.A.S, the die-hard (literally) right-wing group of pied-noirs during the Algerian War, with their "De Gaulle shall not pass." Captain de Lattre de Tassigny, who fought at Verdun near the "Tranchee des Baionnettes" was a driving force in the "fort" approach to Vietnam, which lead to another debacle, Dinh Binh Phu.

The heart of the book is the seven month battle itself, written as a military historian would. It is tactics and strategies, chances taken, opportunities lost. It is the "big boys," the thinking of Falkenhayn on the one side, and Joffre and Petain on the other. The military units are specified, the maps are excellent, and there is a good collection of pictures, of the leaders, and the led, and the terrain that Horne says has become the closest thing to a desert in Europe. Fort Douaumont was lost in most bizarre circumstances, Fort Vaux held. The losses, just in deaths, to both sides a staggering 700,000.

To fully enjoy this book it helps to know French, since Horne does not provide a translation for certain passages. It also helps to have a military background, which would provide a prior understanding of unit designations, the "military mind", and the equipment used. I agree with the criticism of other reviewers--Horne is clearly a Francophile, and his sympathies evident. On the other hand, the "Kirkus review" posted above is ludicrous, must have been a "first day on the job" assignment.

In the new preface Horne asks if such a battle could happen again. He mentions it one sentence, but then gives it a pass, the Iran-Iraq war of the `90's, in which about the same number, 700,000, died in equally senseless "charge the machine guns" style of warfare. Horne traced the ramifications of Verdun, but there was no speculation on the probable and certain ramifications of the Iran-Iraq slaughter.

On a personal note I've toured the battlefield twice. A "desert" is a bit of an overstatement, it is green, but it is also very haunting, and the holes from shellfire and trenches are still apparent. And going through one of the forts is an unpleasant, claustrophobic experience, and that is on a sunny day, and being well-fed. Tough to imagine the fort experience in the cold, rain, under shellfire and hungry.

A "takeaway"? Horne is the master at documenting the 70 years of conflict between the "children of Charlemagne." He says in his preface that this is an ANTI-WAR book. And he celebrates the peace between these children that has finally come. The relevant question today: How many years until the "children of Abraham" declare peace?

The story of the battle of Verdun. A very sad affair, that is so well written that ii is so easy to read. This is a great book that everyone should read to understand the what young men had to endure for their respective countries.
If we do not learn from history we are doomed to repeat it.

This is classic history and a well researched book. Horne shows how the Battle for Verdun became a make or break with both the French and German Armies in World War I. What were they fighting over? A series of forts that weren't even staffed by the French even after the outbreak of hostilities. Some of these forts had their major guns removed to help other areas of the battlefront. The German Army wanted an area where the French were committed to so as to bleed them white. Instead both armies bled themselves white. The Germans fed in thousands of their soldiers to be killed for several acres of land. The French fought until their soldiers could no longer take it. It also shows how a soldier's soldier named Petain could rally his troops to make some severe sacrifices.

This is a great read. Horne is one of the world's premier historians. He shows how this battle affected the psychology of today's French citizen. This is the best book in the trilogy of battle books written by Horne.

Written by the renowned British expert on French history, this is the definitive account of the worst battle of World War I, indeed perhaps the worst battle ever fought (Stalingrad included). It documents 13 months of combat that led the French Army to mutiny and go on strike in the middle of the war. As with any book by Mr. Horne, it is well-documented and written. The only negative quality is Mr. Horne's pretentious tendency to splice French phrases into his English.

Nevertheless, highly recommended.

. Alistair Horne's The Price of Glory is a superbly written and haunting account of the horrendous battle at Verdun in 1916 between the French and German Armies. The Germans consciously attacked the fortress system they knew the French would defend in order to bleed the French Army to death, which, for its own reasons, willingly accepted the challenge. The Battle of Verdun was a condensed version of the entire First World War. In this 10 month-long battle, the Germans made impressive initial gains, but were unable to exploit their advantage due to the unyielding French defense that denied them final victory. The feuds between German generals and administrative problems also worked against their initial success. Sir Alistair Horne The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916 is the vivid and horrifying tale of one of the bloodiest battles in history.
Verdun was the symbol of the will of France; "Ils ne passeront pas" became the famous pledge in the greatest battle of attrition the world had ever seen. The book outlines the German's extensive and rapid buildup of resources and their careful security measures in their attempt to take this fortress system. The battle that lasted from February 21st to December 18th 1916 resulted in 1.2 million casualties for both sides. Horne reveals the character and personality of the generals: Falkenhayn, Joffre, Crown Prince, Knobelsdorf, de Castelnau, Petain, Neville, and Mangin, showing their unique strengths and weaknesses and how those character traits affected their decisions in battle. The underground battles for Forts Doumamont and Vaux are described in chilling detail. The ingenious dirty tricks used by both sides were depicted: the wearing of captured uniforms, the use of false blinker signals, and the Germans firing duds from the 420mm siege mortars to get the Frenchmen to go underground while German infantry swarmed the trench works. There are vivid descriptions of the use of poison gas and graphic accounts of the first use of the flamethrower on a battlefield. Horne takes a catastrophic battle of unthinkable proportions and makes it all too real.

Fairly quick read, great insight on both the leaders and the soldiers who fought. Brush up on your french though, Some quotes and a few short passages are in french, Without translation. That was my only complaint. If you've gotten as far as to read these reviews then I encourage you to buy the book...you will enjoy it.

Fairly quick read, great insight on both the leaders and the soldiers who fought. Brush up on your french though, Some quotes and a few short passages are in french, Without translation. That was my only complaint. If you've gotten as far as to read these reviews then I encourage you to buy the book...you will enjoy it.

The Battle of Verdun was a condensed version of the entire First World War. In this 10 month-long battle, the Germans made impressive initial gains, but were unable to exploit their advantage due to the adamant and intense French defense that denied them final victory. The feuds between German generals and administrative problems also worked against their initial success. Sir Alistair Horne brings all these issues to live and many others in what is a stunningly impressive book.

This engagement was fought entirely between French and German units. What makes Sir Alister's book so important is that most accounts of World War I in English tend to focus on the experiences of the United Kingdom. The French Army, however, contributed more division to the western front than the British. The focus on a battle in which no British units participated is rare in an English-language publication. The book is also an easy read. One testament to the caliber of the prose is that it has stayed in print since its initial publication over 40 years ago, which is no easy thing.

The leading figures in this study are names well-known to any student of the Great War: Falkenhayn, Joffre, Castelnau, Petain, Crown Prince Wilhelm and Nivelle. Horne does an excellent job of giving his readers short biographical sketches that breath life into these legendary names in a way that presents them as they were--human beings with strengths and frailties like everyone else.

As good as this book is there are some problems. Readers with out any ability in French might find Horne's passages in this language rather confusing. Sir Alistair's argument that Verdun cost Germany any chance of winning the war seems a little suspect as well. The German Army remained an effective force until the last stages of the conflict. Other factors, such as diplomatic ineptitude and provoking the United States to enter the war probably did more to cost the Germans victory than the defeat at Verdun. Still, even with those points in mind, this book is quite impressive and readers will enjoy it.

This is a classic and the main lines of the book are relevant today. Some minor deatails are now obsolete from the viewpoint of the modern historiography. Holger Afflerbach's biography of Falkenhayn was published about 10 years ago. Horne didn't knew all the facts about this notorious commander of the German high command. An other book from the German point of view, Paul Ettighoffer's Verdun is great, but like Afflerbach's biografy not available in English as far as I know. It gives a completely different story about the fall of Fort Douaumont. Ettighoffer made me suspect that Horne misinterpreted the code name "Gericht" of the German attac. Horne makes Falkenhayn to look too dumb, the operation Gericht had some military sense, a little, but not much anyway. No serious historian can deny the main point of Horne. No one can whitewash Falkenhayn's name and Verdun remains one of the greatest military disasters of human history. Don't hesitate too much. Horne's Verdun is still a wonderful book to read.

This is a good book on the battle of Verdun. Its probably the best book in English on the subject and it very accessable to the ordinary reader in terms of explaining the battle and telling its story.

Many people focus on the extraordinary lose of life associated with the battle on both sides. But the battle is very interesting as an example of a strategy gone wrong. Both sides lost their prespective on events with disasterous consequences. The initial German plan was for an offensive in a strong and critical sector of the french front that would force the French into a counterattack with disproportionate losses on their side. What went wrong at first was that the German attacks were more successful than the german side ever imagined they would be. The success of the attacks created an impression that an outright victory at Verdun might be possible. This impression led to huge losses to the german army. The Germans had in fact blundered into the trap they had hoped to set for the French. And once the losses started to mount, they losses themselves became part of a circular logic that kept the offensive going. Once the germans had exhausted their offensive push, the French did what the Germans had originally expected them to do and launched counteroffensives with huge losses to take back everything that they had lost.

The lessons I took from the book is that plans have to be objectively re-evaluated on a regular basis. Emotion and prestige need to take second place to an understanding of what can be gained at what cost. Finally, that victory fever can fool a leader implimenting a successful strategy into making enormous gambles to win a bigger victory than the strategy was intended to deliver.

Beyond the questions of strategy, the book shows the true acts of what can only be called heroism on both sides in the different phases of the battle. There were shocking victories and bitter defenses on both sides. Horne also does a wonderful job of going beyond the battle into its effects on French culture, history and politics in the postwar period. There is no other book about Verdun in english that even comes close and few books on the first world war that capture it so well.

This is a classic and the main lines of the book are relevant today. Some minor deatails are now obsolete from the viewpoint of the modern historiography. Holger Afflerbach's biography of Falkenhayn was published about 10 years ago. Horne didn't knew all the facts about this notorious commander of the German high command. An other book from the German point of view, Paul Ettighoffer's Verdun is great, but like Afflerbach's biografy not available in English as far as I know. It gives a completely different story about the fall of Fort Douaumont. Ettighoffer made me suspect that Horne misinterpreted the code name "Gericht" of the German attac. Horne makes Falkenhayn to look too dumb, the operation Gericht had some military sense, a little, but not much anyway. No serious historian can deny the main point of Horne. No one can whitewash Falkenhayn's name and Verdun remains one of the greatest military disasters of human history. Don't hesitate too much. Horne's Verdun is still a wonderful book to read.

This is a good book on the battle of Verdun. Its probably the best book in English on the subject and it very accessable to the ordinary reader in terms of explaining the battle and telling its story.

Many people focus on the extraordinary lose of life associated with the battle on both sides. But the battle is very interesting as an example of a strategy gone wrong. Both sides lost their prespective on events with disasterous consequences. The initial German plan was for an offensive in a strong and critical sector of the french front that would force the French into a counterattack with disproportionate losses on their side. What went wrong at first was that the German attacks were more successful than the german side ever imagined they would be. The success of the attacks created an impression that an outright victory at Verdun might be possible. This impression led to huge losses to the german army. The Germans had in fact blundered into the trap they had hoped to set for the French. And once the losses started to mount, they losses themselves became part of a circular logic that kept the offensive going. Once the germans had exhausted their offensive push, the French did what the Germans had originally expected them to do and launched counteroffensives with huge losses to take back everything that they had lost.

The lessons I took from the book is that plans have to be objectively re-evaluated on a regular basis. Emotion and prestige need to take second place to an understanding of what can be gained at what cost. Finally, that victory fever can fool a leader implimenting a successful strategy into making enormous gambles to win a bigger victory than the strategy was intended to deliver.

Beyond the questions of strategy, the book shows the true acts of what can only be called heroism on both sides in the different phases of the battle. There were shocking victories and bitter defenses on both sides. Horne also does a wonderful job of going beyond the battle into its effects on French culture, history and politics in the postwar period. There is no other book about Verdun in english that even comes close and few books on the first world war that capture it so well.

Alistair Horne's "The Price of Glory" is a superbly written and haunting account of the horrendous battle at Verdun in 1916 between the French and German Armies. The Germans consciously attacked a fortress they knew the French would defend to the death in order to bleed the French Army white. The French Army, for its own reasons, willingly accepted the challenge. What followed was a battlefield slaughter exceeded only by the campaigns on the Somme for ferocity and casualties.

Horne does a brillant job of capturing the experience of battle at the tactical level of the French and German troops trapped in the horror of the siege. He does an equally brillant job unraveling the staff machinations within the French and German Armies that fed fresh masses of troops into an obviously deadlocked battle for months. To a significant extent, Horne describes how the failures of imagination at the general officer level contributed directly to the long stalemate on the Western Front.

Horne wrote this book in 1962; interpretations of the First World War have evolved since then but do not detract from the power of Horne's compelling narrative.

This book is highly recommended to students of the First World War and of the operational art of war.

Alistair Horne's "The Price of Glory" is a superbly written and haunting account of the horrendous battle at Verdun in 1916 between the French and German Armies. The Germans consciously attacked a fortress they knew the French would defend to the death in order to bleed the French Army white. The French Army, for its own reasons, willingly accepted the challenge. What followed was a battlefield slaughter exceeded only by the campaigns on the Somme for ferocity and casualties.

Horne does a brillant job of capturing the experience of battle at the tactical level of the French and German troops trapped in the horror of the siege. He does an equally brillant job unraveling the staff machinations within the French and German Armies that fed fresh masses of troops into an obviously deadlocked battle for months. To a significant extent, Horne describes how the failures of imagination at the general officer level contributed directly to the long stalemate on the Western Front.

Horne wrote this book in 1962; interpretations of the First World War have evolved since then but do not detract from the power of Horne's compelling narrative.

This book is highly recommended to students of the First World War and of the operational art of war.

"The Price of Glory" by Alistair Horne is probably the best battle book I have read about World War I or any other war for that matter. It is unbiased, tragic, and yet stirring. Today, the French Army is the often (unfairly) the butt of many jokes, but anyone who reads this book will know better. The reader can not help but respect the French determination to hold onto their national symbol at all costs, regardless if they agree with the decision or not.

For American readers in 2007, this book has a eerie relevance to the current situation in Iraq. Just as Erich von Falkenhayn initiated the battle of Verdun with an effort that amounted a little more to a half-measure, the Bush administration opened the Iraq War with too few troops and expecting a rather easy victory. Like Imperial Germany, America has come to regret its underestimation of the enemy.

Another parallel between Verdun and Iraq is in the latter part of the book. It is noted that in the first months of the war, the German commanders and officers spoke of victory as just another breakthrough away. However, by July of 1916, a German soldier was quoted as finding it disturbing that the officers no longer mentioned 'victory' in regards to Verdun. Likewise, the only person these days that mentions 'victory' and 'Iraq' in the same sentence is President Bush.

Regardless of a person's opinion on the current state of the Iraq War, this book is a necessary addition for any collection of war books.

"The Price of Glory" by Alistair Horne is probably the best battle book I have read about World War I or any other war for that matter. It is unbiased, tragic, and yet stirring. Today, the French Army is the often (unfairly) the butt of many jokes, but anyone who reads this book will know better. The reader can not help but respect the French determination to hold onto their national symbol at all costs, regardless if they agree with the decision or not.

For American readers in 2007, this book has a eerie relevance to the current situation in Iraq. Just as Erich von Falkenhayn initiated the battle of Verdun with an effort that amounted a little more to a half-measure, the Bush administration opened the Iraq War with too few troops and expecting a rather easy victory. Like Imperial Germany, America has come to regret its underestimation of the enemy.

Another parallel between Verdun and Iraq is in the latter part of the book. It is noted that in the first months of the war, the German commanders and officers spoke of victory as just another breakthrough away. However, by July of 1916, a German soldier was quoted as finding it disturbing that the officers no longer mentioned 'victory' in regards to Verdun. Likewise, the only person these days that mentions 'victory' and 'Iraq' in the same sentence is President Bush.

Regardless of a person's opinion on the current state of the Iraq War, this book is a necessary addition for any collection of war books.

Almost a hundred years have passed since the longest and most deadly battle in history. What have we learned? Very little. Feckless politicians, stubborn generals and common folk who suffer the consequences still abound. This book is as relevant to current events as it is to historical tragedy. No literate person should reject it. The pablum of "bestsellers" have no edge on drama. Nothing else has more truth. Readers should ask themselves if they can handle the truth as presented in this book.

Almost a hundred years have passed since the longest and most deadly battle in history. What have we learned? Very little. Feckless politicians, stubborn generals and common folk who suffer the consequences still abound. This book is as relevant to current events as it is to historical tragedy. No literate person should reject it. The pablum of "bestsellers" have no edge on drama. Nothing else has more truth. Readers should ask themselves if they can handle the truth as presented in this book.

In his book "The Price of Glory," Alistair Horne describes the Battle of Verdun in an easy to read and unbiased manner. The battle itself is described in chillingly close detail.

Unlike many information books on a particular war, "The Price of Glory" is actually very easy to read. I had no problem getting through this book and there were no parts that I had to skip because they were to boring and seemingly pointless to read. Also, Horne did his work from an unbiased standpoint; he didn't seem to pick sides and focus on one side more than the other. He simply laid down the facts and didn't try to enter too many of his opinions on the battle into his book. Other war authors detail a particular battle or event predominately from the viewpoint of one of the sides. I have never like when authors do that.

Another thing that I liked about "The Price of Glory" was that the information presented in it, aside from being very interesting, was useful as well for different projects that I had to do. I read the book when I was fifteen and since that time have used what I learned from Horne's book in several different projects. So I suggest that if you're looking for information for school or just want to learn about the Battle of Verdun, this is the best book you can by without knowing how to read French.

During World War I, soldiers fought against material. As a result, there was vast carnage, as the infantry attacked fortified machine guns or huddled helplessly in trenches during relentless artillery barrages.

Regardless, most generals did not rethink their strategies. Indeed, more than 700,000 soldiers were killed or wounded in about five months at Verdun before the commanders, largely due to developments beyond this battlefield, let the focus of the war shift to new fronts.

In writing this mesmerizing history of Verdun, Alistair Horne points out that the French and German armies were never quite the same after this terrible battle. In today's terminology, the facts on the ground made the soldiers question the military strategy, even though the generals did not. For various reasons, the generals were the last to recognize that their grand and aggressive theories produced only heroic folly and pointless tragedy.

Ninety years ago at Verdun, hundreds of thousands of lives were sacrificed on the altar of GRAND IDEAS. I'm no expert. But, it seems like our generals have learned the lesson of this pointless sacrifice. But the politicians?

Read this great book!

It's a difficult task to write history that is well-researched, in depth, and factually precise, but at the same time aware of the narrative power of an evocative story well told. "The Price of Glory" is all these things. It's a powerful piece of writing, but also a serious and important work of historiography. It's the first book of Horne's I've read, but I intend now to track down several others.

Horne makes a strong case that Verdun was not only a shocking slaughter in its own right ("It was the indecisive battle in an indecisive war; the unnecessary battle in an unnecessary war; the battle that had no victors in a war that had no victors." -- p. 331), but an event that had massive symbolic and physical consequences across nations and generations.

This explains why Verdun is still relevant today, and why "The Price of Glory" is useful reading even for people who aren't armchair generals. As the title suggests -- and the narrative makes clear -- the simple military objective is only the start of the Verdun story. As the battle progressed, military objectives, and the lives of the men involved, became secondary to (allegedly) larger questions of "national honor." Blinded by the pursuit of pride, revenge, or honor, the bullheaded French insistence on *attaque à outrance* as much as the German plan to "bleed them white" virtually guaranteed a bloodbath -- especially when some men sought the glory while others paid the price.

I think this is a book the reader will long remember -- not only for the lessons of the battle and the price paid to learn them, but also for the skill and elegance with which Alastair Horne recounts them.

Alistair Horne's epic about Verdun is one of the best history books I have ever read. He provides detailed information with the style which makes all the facts flow. Not only does he detail the battle itself, but takes time out to describe the adventures of a German Sergeant Kunze who infiltrates Forts Douaumont. What makes this chapter different is the almost minute by minute retelling of the soldier's activities. He actually stops to eat in a fort surrounded by the enemy with prisoners he captured locked in a broom closet!

I have previously read How Far From Austerlitz? by Horne and enjoyed it as much as Verdun. This book is the second in a three part trilogy covering the Franco-Prussian War (The Fall of Paris) and World War II (To Lose a Battle France 1940) All definitely worth the time to read.

The story that this book tells is amazing. The writing is wonderful. While the point of view is a bit slanted towards the French, no critiques of French behavior during the battle are softened. Horne manages to do three things very well with this book. He ably describes the battle(s) of Verdun, causes and aftermath, with a goodly number of maps & illustrations. He captures the thoughts & feelings of those taking part in the battle from the lowest poilu in the trenches to the generals. Last, and most important, he paints a picture of the battle in words that allows you to, at least a tiny bit, experience the horrors of fighting over land so fought over that shelling buries the bodies of Germans & French side by side and re-exposes them later. It's worth reading.

The best account of early 20C industrialized killing, invented at Verdun in 1916. Erich von Falkenhayn thought a `meat grinder' would devastate the French, but sacrificed his own troops to the same madness. Much of the battlefield remains closed today due unexploded ordinance.

This is definitely the finest military book I have read. Alistair Horne, aside from having an easy style, is able to examine many different aspects of his subject, and is somehow able to find material on all of them. From what the men ate to what they felt to what their leadership was up to, he is entertaining and educating. I recommend this book without hesitation.

If you want to understand World War I, this book about the battle of Verdun is a must-read.

A history professor once told me that World War I, the French Revolution, and the U.S. Constitution had inspired more history than any other events or episodes. World War I exhausted Europe; at the outset, its armies, navies and colonies held dominion over much of the globe, but at the end it was a pauper continent, with both victors and vanquished shattered by deaths and debts, reparations and revolutions. And Verdun marked a pivotal moment in this transformation, for here the generals revealed that they had too few ideas about how to win--but too many men still to feed into the meatgrinder.

Because of battles like Verdun, many associate World War I with images and episodes straight from "All Quiet on the Western Front" or "Paths of Glory"--futile attacks and counterattacks, weary and shell-shocked men running across pulverized land only to be killed or maimed by mass-produced bullets and explosives, victims of Europe's collective skill at the industries of war. In this meta-narrative, the perpetrators of this mass slaughter remain hidden, distant, aloof, living in idyllic chateaux miles away from the mud and the blood, their actions either inscrutable or idiotic.

Horne pulls back the curtain to reveal the character and personality of those generals, showing their unique strengths and weaknesses and how those character traits played themselves out in one of the greatest battles in human history. By writing so well about the decision-makers, he makes the churned earth and spilled blood more tragic--and more understandable. Verdun, a battle Horne describes "the battlefield with the highest density of dead per square yard that has probably ever been known" was by all accounts a supreme test of wills for both France and Germany. In Horne's hands, though, it becomes something more tangible and real, a clash not just of armies, but of people.

In addition to the excellent human descriptions, though, Horne writes wonderfully and vividly about the scenes of the battle. Some authors and books wring the life out of historical events, turning them into stale words on dead paper. But Horne brings this monstrous battle to life, vividly describing the claustrophobic underground tunnels of shell-battered Fort Douamont and the clutching terror of phosgene gas. Horne takes a catastrophic battle of mind-boggling proportions and makes it all too real.

This is the second book I've read by Horne, and I am consistently impressed by his level detail. Horne de-romanticizes this battle, and the war itself by concisely relating the generally miserable day-to-day conditions of the front line soldiers and lower echelon officers. The book is a relatively short read, but nothing is sacrificed. An excellent work!

I read this book first when I was about 15. I remembered it still when I was 40. It is without a doubt the best book in English on the Verdun battle and perhaps a more accurate account with more detail will be written in the future, but it will still not eclipse this book for what it is -- quite simply a very accurate and moving account of a battle that had no sole purpose than to kill men.

Unlike other battles where there is a specific political purpose achieved at the price of bodies, in this battle, the bodies themselves were seen as a way to beggar the enemy and force them into surrendering. In the logic of the German High Command it was reckoned that in major battle with Germany the French would loose around 2 soldiers for every 1 German that died. Since Germany had a larger population base than France the calculus was simple: bleed the French white so that they would have to sue to peace and abandon the war effort.

The French, in good fin de siecle spirit rose to the occasion and decided to defend the vital fortress town, come what may... This was making of a colossal battle, lasting many months and with over 1,000,000 dead on both sides. It could be cited as the largest battle ever fought!

With both side bying into the calculus of bodies, the count rose higher and higher and the fearful hell-like outcome was predictable. Despite the losses (the Germans were more or less correct) the Germans eventually broke off battle and left most of the offensive work in the war to the allies.

The book describes well the actions of the French High Command, the political events and is very good on the mud-and-blood-in-your-face details of the common French polieu.

If it is read with Leon Wolfe's in Flander's feild and Martin Gilbert's "The First Day on the Somme" one can really get a flavour of the hell of the Western Front.

Hands down one of the best books written on World War I. Stays with you.

By all accounts, this book is a classic and is widely quoted in most contemporary books on World War I. The author, Alistair Horne, does a suberb job analyzing and reporting the entire terrifying, brutal battle. Horne starts off by first by explaining the French army's proclivity for reckless offensive action, despite its abysmal record since the war's beginning. Then Horne examines Falkenhayn and his reason for choosing the attrition strategy, i.e. the impossibility of decisive breakthrough on the Western Front. (Incidentally, Falkenhayn's breakthrough assessment -not strategy - was probably correct. A war-winning breakthrough on the Western Front was a mirage for the entire war.)

The book outlines the German's extensive and rapid build up of human and material resources and their careful security measures. But most importantly, each of the leaders (Falkenhayn, Joffre, Crown Prince, Knobelsdorf, de Castelnau, Petain, Neville, Mangin) involved is thoughtfully evaluated and their actions involved in the battle scrutinized. With these critical elements in place, Horne then goes on to give a blow-by-blow account of all the important actions ( during the siege-like battle. The most fascinating account involves the capture of Fort Vaux; Raynal and his French defenders fanatically defied the Germans' in a week's worth of unbelievably desperate underground fighting.

Horne's outstanding book is probably the best battle account of World War I, well-researched and engagingly written. The book has a few maps and several photos which show the battleground and the principal military leaders. Horne gives Petain credit for his vital logistical groundwork in initially organizing woefully inadequate French defenses. He also shows us that Knobelsdorf, the Crown Prince's chief-of-staff, was the real villain who refused to call off the German attacks despite massive casualties and lack of progress. The book ends by giving a brief history of each of the leaders after the battle, which I found very satisfying. I heartily recommend this excellent book!

Until I read this book, I never really appreciated the French involvement in WWI and the absolute sacrifices the country made - that were a major contributing factor to their fall against the Nazis in 1940. Furthermore, the complete waste and destruction of manpower by machine draws you into this account and makes you appreciate something like this should never happen again. The main characters are portreyed by Horne in Joffre the French commander, Falkenhayn, Knobelsdorf, The Crown prince, Petain and even Haig. Reading, it sounds like a comedy of errors an obsession and a complete disregard for human life and sacrifice. The futile waste, the heroism and the sheer destruction are versed from the point of view of the everyday soldier and you feel for both sides of the conflict, sucked into a maelstrom, an inferno of hell. The author's research is stunning and even the account of the German capture of Fort Douaumont by Kunze and Radtke have drawn credit from Kunze himself years after the conflict.

I'm just starting to get interested in World War I history and I found this book to be an excellent introduction to the Battle of Verdun. Horne does a good job showing the political intrigues by the generals at the top and how they were utterly out of touch with the experiences of the soldiers in the field, and of the reduction to meaninglessness of the courage of the individual, when faced with an artillery barrage. Reading it one comes away with a sense of the appalling waste and uselessness of it all. Others have complained that he focuses too much on the French side of things to the detriment of the Germans, and this may be true, but still, this is a good place to start.