Customer Reviews

The Campaign of the Marne

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Today, when most of us think of the Western Front in the First World War, we think of muddy trenches, barbed wire, machine guns, and senseless slaughter...all for no apparent purpose. Sewell Tyng reminds us in "The Campaign on the Marne" that there were a few weeks at the beginning of the "Great War" when the Western Front was a Napoleonic classic of maneuver, marches and counter-marches, cavalry sweeps, flanking movements, bayonet charges, and distinct individual battles, all coming together in a complex campaign that ever since has been overshadowed by the carnage that followed. Winston Churchill said it best: "No part of the Great War compares in interest with its opening...In fact the war was decided in the first twenty days of fighting, and all that happened afterwards consisted in battles which, however formidable and devastating, were but desperate and vain appeals against the decision of fate."

Written in 1935, Tyng's "The Campaign of the Marne" is still likely to stand as THE definitive book on the subject for many years to come. Thoroughly researched, after all the key decision-makers (and many lesser ones) on both the German and French/British side had written their memoirs and assessments, there is simply little new that can be brought to light at this point that Tyng has not already addressed in detail. At the same time, the narrative is very readable, fast-paced, and does justice to the drama of the time. Good maps and informative appendices are included.

Tyng's work also goes a long way towards correcting misconceptions that have persisted long after the war. This includes the popular image of French Commander-in-Chief Joseph Joffre as a well-intentioned near-simpleton who seemed to blunder his way to victory on the Marne thanks to some aggressive subordinates and mistakes by the Germans. Certainly, the Germans did make mistakes, and Joffre found some capable subordinates baptized by fire. But Tyng argues (I think successfully) that Joffre deserves a better place in history. Even though humble, lacking a smart military bearing, and fairly unimaginative in speech, "Joffre stands revealed as a leader, far-sighted, unsentimental, determined."

Overall, this book is highly recommended; no First World War reading list would be complete without it.

I am reluctant to give books a five star rating but in this instance I have no hesitation in making an exception. Sewell Tyng's "The Campaign of the Marne" is the best book I have read concerning the opening campaign of The Great War on the Western Front. First published over 75 years ago, Tyng's insightful analysis and comments on the contending commanders and on the outcomes and implications of the various battles remain valid today despite considerable later research and greater access to official sources. As such this book is likely to remain the standard work on the subject and must be regarded as a classic.

This is history pitched at the strategic and operational levels of war, with tactical actions interspersed that demonstrate the effects of the friction of war, that perennial problem that is too often neglected by military historians with little real knowledge of how battles transpire. Tyng's style is concise and very readable. The chapters are short, from 4 to 12 pages, which makes it fast paced, enjoyable and easy to maintain a clear understanding of a complex and vast canvas of interlocking battles. It is precise in its narrative and fair and balanced in its analysis of the various actions fought by the contending armies and of the decisions of the opposing commanders. It is a benchmark of how good military history should be written.


The book opens with a chapter each on the Schlieffen Plan and Plan XVII which provide valuable insights into just how much Joffre was aware of a possible German thrust through Belgium and the fact that Plan XVII was a concentration plan rather than a plan of campaign. This is followed by a comparison of the opposing armies: German, French, Belgian and British.

"The Campaign of the Marne" is actually a masterful account of the opening campaign all along the Western Front during August and September 1914, not just The Battle of the Marne. Thus it opens with the German invasion of Belgium and the fighting to capture the fortress of Leige. It then addresses the various Battles of the Frontiers from Belgium through to the Swiss border, covering the actions of the six French and seven German Armies, the Belgians and the BEF. These chapters are not just narrative; Tyng comments on the implications of each action in relation to the overall plans and intentions of the opposing commanders which are not only valuable but provide context to the outcome of the campaign.

The Allied retreat and the German advance makes interesting reading - as the mistakes on each side and the friction of war affect the outcome of battles and missed opportunities while Joffre, the French Commander-in-Chief, sets in train the forces and deployments that made the Battle of the Marne possible. The chronological events that led to the Allied victory on the Marne are clearly described and in doing so Tyng corrects a good many misconceptions and myths, not the least of which are who was the real architect and advocate of the French counter-attack and who was actually responsible for ordering the initial German retirement; all supported by documentary evidence in the appendices.

At the same time the battles around Nancy and Verdun are described in sufficient detail to maintain a sound understanding of what was occurring across the whole front. The book concludes with a summary of the German retreat to the Aisne and the desultory Allied "pursuit" followed by brief chapters on the Marne in retrospect, legends and myths and an analysis of Joffre. 20 very good sketch maps support the narrative and allow the reader to readily follow the complexity of this vast and fast moving campaign.

Tyng considers the Allied victory on the Marne was due to Joffre's generalship and strategic grasp of events immediately after the Battles of the Frontiers, mistakes on the part of the German commanders and that perennial problem, the friction of war. It is hard to contest this conclusion.

This superb book is highly recommended.

A very well organized book, with minute detail and insights. The book starts with an historical perspective of the German military plans in case of a general war in Europe to be fought in two fronts: the Western Front (France) and the Eastern Front (Russia). From there it narrates the military history of the Western Front war from its beginning to the end of the First Battle of the Marne. This book was first published in 1935 and published again in 2007 by Westholme Publishing. We should be grateful to Westholme Publishing for that. I had just read "The Guns of August" by Barbara Tuchman and wanted to know more or other views when I came across this book. Even though the scope and contents of both books are different it is a good experience to read them back to back. Mrs. Tuchman book is an easier read in many ways and has a more ambitious scope with narration of events in the Eastern Front and naval operations in the Mediterranean that affected the rest of the war. It also provides a context for the war. Mrs. Tuchman book stops at the beginning of the Marne while Mr. Tyng's book continues until the end of the First Battle of the Marne. Mr. Tyng and Mrs. Tuchman arrive at different conclusions regarding the relative contributions of General Joffre and General Gallieni. It is possible that more sources and findings were made since 1935 and that Mrs. Tuchman had the benefit of those nearly 30 years later. Still, Mr. Tyng's findings seem less contrived. Usually, I do not like to refer to favorite books but, as of now, Mr. Tyng's book is one of my favorite readings.

The all important story of the first battle of the Marne. Well written, a little slow at times, but overall an excellent overview of this import WW1 campaign.