It will be forever known as Passchendaele: the very word is used to describe wretched and perilous conditions such as were encountered at the battles which became officially designated as Third Ypres. There with better tactics, equipment and experience than he had previously employed, Haig was surely set for considerable advance and ultimate success. Initial successes were, however, reversed by stout German defence and weak British strategy before unprecedented rainfall reduced the Belgian landscape to a quagmire. Through August the British suffered net losses and only towards the end of September did the more enlightened command of Plumer bring gains against the German divisions, only for more rain and the subsequent reduction of offensive effectiveness to reduce territorial gains to a meaningless trickle. Following his popular volume on The Somme,Chris McCarthy re-assesses and enhances the official history of Third Ypres, presenting his research with comprehenive illustrations and valuable coloured maps.
