In early 1918, after months of stalemate, a massive German offensive broke the British line - and almost broke the British Army. This book, the seventh volume of a series, captures the impact of that terrible assault, the long fighting retreat, the vital stand at Amiens, which finally secured the line. Many of the troops ordered to hold a position 'to the last man' were mere teenagers, who found courage in desperate situations in camaraderie, jokes and bravado. 'As always,' writes Macdonald, 'my aim (and in a sense my obligation) has been... to try to understand.' The result is a compelling picture of the human face of war.
'Macdonald's narrative, constructed around a succession of remarkable and fresh first-hand accounts, is both compelling and vivid.'
Hew Strachan, The Times Literary Supplement
