Artillery was the decisive weapon of the Great War – it dominated the
battlefields. Yet the history of artillery during the conflict has been
neglected, and its impact on the fighting is inadequately understood. Paul
Strong and Sanders Marble, in this important and highly readable study, seek to
balance the account.
Their work shows that artillery was central to the tactics of the
belligerent nations throughout the long course of the conflict, in attack and in
defence. They describe, in vivid detail, how in theory and practice the use of
artillery developed in different ways among the opposing armies, and they reveal
how artillerymen on all sides coped with the extraordinary challenges that
confronted them on the battlefield. They also give graphic accounts of the role
played by artillery in specific operations, including the battles of Le Cateau,
the Somme and Valenciennes.
Their work will be fascinating reading for anyone who is keen to
understand the impact of artillery on the Great War and its role in the wider
history of modern industrialised warfare.
