Panorama of the Western Front

By John Laffin

First published in 1993 and now available in paperback, a contemporary portrait of the entire length of the Western Front, showing an aerial view of the landscape against which the campaign was... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1856279014
• ISBN13: 9781856279017
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: Sutton
• Length: 120 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.

Customer Reviews

interesting reference book on the first world war

In 1916 the French illustrator Georges Malfroy decided to produce a series of panoramic views of the entire western front from the english channel to the Swiss border. It was designed to give people an idea of where their children/loved ones were fighting and so they could make sense of the names mentioned in newspapers. He put together his illustrations from topographical survey maps, ariel photos and extensive personal travels to different areas of the front. Malfory originally published his illustrations in one expensive volume with only a few thousand copies printed. John Laffin created a book that consists of reproductions of the illustrations along with annotations and historical material about the various places seen in the pictures and their role in the war. The value of the book is that if you want to understand why battles occured in certain locations in France and not others, this is the book that can visually explain it. It shows the hills, forests, villages, rivers and cities that made up the front. Its an invaluable reference for anyone reading about events in France during the first world war or even moreso for people traveling to sites in France. Laffin also includes period photos and introductions explaining the nature of the war and important events in each sector of the front.