the fields where most of the blood was shed, but also in the streets, homes.
and hearts of the people who lived through a time when a chaotic life was.
nothing out of the ordinary.
The book focuses on four prominent characters, Gamelin, Weygand, Manstein,.
and Guderia. All real men in various positions in their respected armies.
Horne also used interviews from veteran soldiers, which brings a whole new.
sense to the book. It allows the reader to appreciate the words on a whole.
other level. Horne also incorporates maps and pictures into the book,.
which makes it interactive for the reader. As Macmullian states in his.
review 'The terrent expands into France', "'To Lose A Battle' is very well.
mapped and indexed."[iii] The pictures range from battle scenes to casual.
snapshots to very formal. The variety of photographs holds the readers.
attention for a while as they imagine the scene or scenario in which it.
took place.
During the reading of this book I found myself developing a deeper.
appreciation for the role played by the Maginot Line. It was something I.
had heard of, but never to the point of being educated in its purpose. The.
book introduces us to how the line was such a modern and welcomed form or.
protection against any army wanting to invade France, primarily Germany.
However, the line proved to be nothing more then the false expectation of a.
war that never actually came. It drained the government of much needed.
money and vital resources that could have perhaps helped the French come.
out of the conflict with a victory instead of an embarrassing defeat at the.
hand of the Germans. Horne does an extraordinary job of pulling the reader.
into the idea of the Maginot Line and in the end leaves you shaking your.
head. The irony is all to present, the line was a great way of preventing.
a German invasion yes, but at the same time it was barrier for the French.
who could have made significance advances into enemy territory.
Throughout the body of the book, Horne describes in excruciating.
