Retreat and Rearguard - Somme 1918: The Fifth Army Retreat - Tapa dura

The German Spring offensive - or Kaiserschlacht - was a period of great danger for the Allies. Both sides were exhausted after years of bitter fighting and huge losses. While eventually catastrophically unsuccessful and the prelude to their final defeat, the German forced the Allies back over hard-won ground until the tide turned. Historian Jerry Murland has researched and visited the scenes of desperate actions during late March 1918. He describes in graphic detail the battles fought by British, Irish and South African regiments in the area from St Leger in the North to La Fere in the South. He unearths the extraordinary stories of unit and individual courage. He also examines the work of the Royal Engineers who blew bridges and disrupted lines of communication. This original approach covers battles that in many cases have only been described briefly in official histories. The book is a useful companion for any battlefield visitor.

Jerry Murland has written two books for Pen and Sword - Aristocrats Go To War and Retreat and Rearguard 1914 - The BEF's Actions from Mons to the Marne. A former soldier, he lives near Coventry.