Weapons of the Trench War 1914-1918 [Hardcover]

Anthony Saunders (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1999

Before 1914, trench warfare was a type of fighting unforeseen by the armies of Britain, France and Germany, so none was equipped to fight it. Specialized weapons and equipment were needed for the violent environment of the trenches and these had to be developed and introduced to the Front as quickly as possible. In Britain, a plethora of "inventions" departments sprang up to address the problem and from these there emerged a number of remarkable weapons, although some came from civilians such as William Mills and Wilfrid Stokes. Hand and rifle grenades as well as trench mortars emerged as potent weapons that had a fundamental impact on the conduct of the fighting in the trenches. The author's detailed text looks at innovation in the trenches, principally from the British viewpoint, but he also describes equipment designed to overcome the problems of trench warfare at trench level, and examines some of the unsuccessful ideas that never made it to the Front. Some of the weapons, like the Livens Projector, have remained largely unknown. The author's narrative describes each type of equipment, its development and effectiveness, and what the troops at the Front thought of it, as well as official reaction to the weapons. The source material has been drawn from files in the Public Record Office and from UK patents. The range of illustrations that support the text include contemporary photographs and detailed drawings.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Anthony Saunders is a freelance writer and editor with a specialist interest in the two world wars. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Sutton Pub Ltd; 1 edition (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750918187
• ISBN-13: 978-0750918183
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,616,113 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book For the Specialist Only Not for the General Reader, July 17, 1999

By 

El Cutachero (MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Weapons of the Trench War 1914-1918 (Hardcover)

I will not repeat what is in the precis above. This book is extemely detailed. This work will not have any reason to be repeated. What is in here,is of interest to the specialist in weapons development and the collector, supposing that such items still exist. If you want the experience of the trenches, then get Eye Deep in Hell (c.f.) This details every patent and effort to make hand grenades, for example, safe for the thrower, and lethal for the target, that the British made. The same is true for flame throwers, light mortars, catapults, and gas projectors. Again, this is not light reading and covers crew served weapons other than firearms and grenades. I bought it hoping there was something on trench cutlery in it. Nada. But I still found it well written enough to read all of it. But I will probably never open it again unless I find a photo I need to interpret. The general reader is referred to any of Ian Hogg's works. They are comprehensive, well-written, and have just enough detail for the specialist and not too much to bore the general reader.