To the Bitter End: The Final Campaigns of 1918

Description

1918, the climactic year of World War I, began with the Kaiserschlacht, a massive series of German infantry-led attacks, supported by artillery and air power, that sought to break the Allied resolve before the full weight of the American Expeditionary Forces could be brought to bear. After weathering the storm, the British, French and American forces counter-attacked, launching the Hundred Days campaign, which finally led to the victory in November. Describing and analysing these operations, David Murphy shows how changes in the operational and command structures of both forces affected how these campaigns were fought, and looks in detail at some of the most significant battles, including Amiens, the Scarpe and Meuse-Argonne. He concludes by examining the peace conferences, and their legacy, as the former Allies found themselves involved in further conflict in Russia, Afghanistan, Ireland and Iraq. Publishing one hundred years after these campaigns were fought, To The Bitter End tells the complete story of how World War I was won.

Dr David Murphy was born in Dublin in 1968 and is a graduate of both University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin. He is a contributor to the Dictionary of Irish Biography, and has published numerous articles, as well as three books with Osprey. He is currently compiling a gazetteer of Irish regiments for the Military Heritage Trust of Ireland. He lives in County Cavan, Ireland.