When the First World War broke out in August 1914 the Imperial German Army mistakenly assumed that the BEF - 'that contemptible little army' - would be easily defeated. They were stopped in their tracks by the numerically inferior British force, whose excellent marksmanship cost the closed packed German ranks dear. Eventually forced to fall back by overwhelming German numbers, the British carried out a masterful fighting retreat across Belgium and northern France. At Mons, nine and a half British battalions held four German divisions at bay for an entire day. This book examines not just the battle of Mons itself but also the ensuing British retreat including the actions at Le Cateau and Villers-Cotterets.
Author Biography
David Lomas is the pen name of Deborah Lake who currently lives and works in Northumberland. Ed Dovey has been a military illustrator for a number of years and has worked on Osprey titles such as Campaign 49 Mons 1914. He is well known and much admired for his work in Military Illustrated magazine.