BLOODY APRIL: Slaughter Over the Skies in Arras 1917
by Peter Hart
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Book Summary Information
Author: Peter HartEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-06
ISBN: 0297846213
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: George Weidenfeld & Nicholson
Book Reviews of BLOODY APRIL: Slaughter Over the Skies in Arras 1917
Book Review: Death in the sky leads to breakthrough on the ground
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a fine and engrossing study of the Battle of Arras in 1917, focusing on the climatic month of April when British and Canadian forces succeeded in driving back the Germans.
Hart begins with a thorough introduction to the battle, explaining how the Allies and the Germans came to fight near a village that had seen war ever since the Romans built it. He brilliantly describes the actions and preparations made prior to Spring, 1917, making excellent use of reports, maps, and personal letters.
The core of the book is centered on the air battle in April. British success--and high casualty rates in the Royal Flying Corps as it tried to make do with mediocre planes and little training--made possible the breakthroughs realized by the British and Canadian infantry, allowing them to capture Vimy Ridge. Along the way we run into some familiar figures, Richtofen and G?ring among them, but most of the men we meet are now long forgotten except perhaps for a letter or, with luck, a picture. Hart tries to tell a bit of their story too.
This is an important and worthwhile book. Oh, one more thing is worth noting: You really must read the acknowledgments. Hart's original idea for the title of his book will make you laugh out loud.
Summary of BLOODY APRIL: Slaughter Over the Skies in Arras 1917
As the Allies embarked upon the Battle of Arras, they desperately needed air support from the Royal Flying Corps. But by this point the RFC were flying obsolete planes. The new German Albatros scouts massively outclassed them in every respect: speed, armament, ability to withstand punishment and maneuverability.Many of the RFC's pilots were straight out of flying school - as they took to the air they were sitting targets for the experienced German aces. Over the course of 'Bloody April' the RFC suffered casualties of over a third.
The average life expectancy of a new subaltern on the front line dropped to just eleven days. And yet they carried on flying, day after day, in the knowledge that, in the eyes of their commanders at least, their own lives meant nothing compared to the tens of thousands of soldiers on the ground who were being lost daily.
In this book Peter Hart tells the story of the air war over Arras, using the voices of the men who were actually there. His research has uncovered a vast amount of previously unpublished information, some of which is controversial: for example, were some of the British aces being completely truthful about their fabulous victories?
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