Gas!: The Battle for Ypres, 1915

Nearly eighty-five years ago men from Canada, Britain, India, France, Belgium, Germany, and Algeria partook in a battle that made drastic changes on the future of warfare that no one could comprehend at the time. Explore the battle, hearing accounts from the soldiers who fought there and, by understanding the commanders errors that cost so many countries their youth. Starting from when the Canadian troops first came to the salient on April 14, and ending with the last counterattack on April 22, Gas! The Battle for Ypres, 1915 tells of the horror that the common soldier and officer alike shared to help protect the most vulnerable spot in Belgium. The battle starts with mistakes made by commanders, and, as in many battles, a large amount of the casualties could have been averted by paying attention to small precautions that were given. In not heeding the warnings made by defectors from the German ranks, the leaders of the allies condemned many men to an awful and painful death. In many ways the mistakes made by the allied commanders were much like the mistakes made throughout the war. Many countries, other than Germany of course, were not ready for the cold-hearted tactics that are necessary in this type of war. Many generals still thought that warfare would be fought in an honourable way, a mistake that caused many good men their lives. When allied generals heard that the Germans were preparing for an assault proceeded by a poisonous gas cloud, they thought that it was just another German ploy. It wasn't until later that they found this assumption to be untrue. Unreliable information from the front lines also made for some disastrous counterattacks, many making for whole brigades to be put into the meat grinder, from which few returned. Gas! The Battle for Ypres, 1915 combines the point of view of the soldier, who is living in a small ditch, with a detailed setting that puts you on the battlefield with these inspiring soldiers. Men like Arthur Currie, Canadian brigadier at the time, and future commanding officer of the entire Canadian forces, who put their lives at risk to protect the well being of the men they served, help to bring the story down to earth for any reader, not just the history buff. If there is anyone who likes reading about the history of the First World War, or just wants to learn about one of the battles that Canada her identity, this the book to read. By combining real life courage and actual facts, J. McWilliams and R. J. Steel have made a masterpiece that will forever preserve the disaster and victory at Ypres.