BOOK REVIEWS
Major & Mrs. Holt's Battlefield Guide
to the Somme |
I've known about these books ever since they first appeared, in 1996 (Somme) and 1997 (Ypres) but until now I've never actually looked inside a copy. This was because, rather uniquely, each book comes with a separate large-scale map (see below) and as I already have the maps, there seemed no reason to buy the books.
I was wrong. Ignoring the books was a mistake and I'm glad that I haven't dwelt in ignorance for too long, because these two books are "must haves" for anyone considering a visit to the Somme or Ypres.
The new addition to the Series, the guide to Gallipoli, was published in 2000 and although the places described are rather out of my reach geographically, I had to get a copy of this book. I know from my experience of the Somme and Ypres that the Holts' books are the next best thing to visiting the places yourself, so now I have, in my imagination, visited Gallipoli - thanks to them.
What makes the books so valuable is the special insight which the authors have as a result of visiting the battlefields themselves, and leading tours, over many years. Their knowledge of places and events is vast, and the books are therefore more than just guides giving directions to travellers. They are full of interesting details, little stories and observations which can only be gathered through long personal interest in the subject. You tap into a lot of experience when you buy these books. Quite simply, whether you are planning a visit or actually "in the field" travelling from place to place, you'll find that all the hard work and research has already been done for you.
They are also really attractive books. They contain hundreds of photographs, almost all in colour and there are easy-to-follow maps.
Each guide contains details of how to get to the area which is the subject of the book, with details of interesting stop-offs on the way, and then the main body of the book begins - the itineraries. Each one contains details of a full 8-hour day spent on the battlefields (though one can be selective) and each gives directions for getting from place to place, the time you can expect to spend at each place and a running total (in miles) as each place is reached. So that nothing is missed out, some additional sites which don't fall readily into the itineraries are also included, as extra round-trips.
And then there are those fold-out maps! Each book comes with a map, which is printed in colour and to a large scale (1:40,000) making it easy to use for navigation. The maps show trench lines, the positions of bunkers, farms or other named areas, private memorials, museums, cemeteries, sites of Victoria Cross Actions, Literary figures buried or commemorated in the area, the locations of other notable graves, etc. etc. On the back is another map showing the designated area within a wider geographical context and an alphabetical index of the various places of interest marked on the map.
My copies of the maps are getting a little the worse for wear, as I have used them to death, so it's good to see that the maps are available separately, and that there are encapsulated versions available, too. This is going to be useful for replacements, but my advice would be to buy the books together with the maps in the first instance.
Highly recommended for the first-time visitor and the more seasoned veteran alike.
MAJOR & MRS. HOLT'S BATTLEFIELD GUIDE TO THE YPRES SALIENT
MAJOR & MRS. HOLT'S BATTLEFIELD GUIDE TO THE SOMME
MAJOR & MRS. HOLT'S BATTLEFIELD GUIDE TO GALLIPOLI
are published by Leo Cooper/Pen and Sword Books Lts.
ISBN (Ypres) 0-85052-551-9
ISBN (Somme) 0-85052-414-8
ISBN (Gallipoli) 0-85052-662-0
Paperback, 256 pages (Ypres) - 254 pages (Somme) - 272 pages (Gallipoli) - maps, photographs, fold-out map.
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