BOOKS ABOUT THE YPRES SALIENT

BATTLEFIELD GUIDES

Anon. - Ypres and the Battles of Ypres (Michelin 1919)

- The very first guide-book to the Ypres area, published by the Michelin tyre company. It makes fascinating reading, showing the battlefields as they were at the end of the war. Useful historical background and maps. The book was reprinted by Naval & Military Press and is easily available.

Anon. - The Pilgrim's Guide to the Ypres Salient (Herbert Reiach 1920)

- Published on behalf of Talbot House, this was one of the earliest guide-books to the area. It provides some historical articles, advice on visiting, a list of cemeteries and some fascinating adverts! Now long out of print and only available from specialist book dealers.

BATTLEGROUND EUROPE SERIES - YPRES (Pen & Sword 1991 onwards)

- A whole series of battlefield guides to individual parts of the Ypres Salient by a variety of authors. These include locations such as Messines, St Julien, and Passchendaele. All are still in print 2002. For a full listing see the Pen & Sword web site.

Scott, Michael - The Ypres Salient: A Guide to the Cemeteries & Memorials (Gliddon Books 1992)

- A complete and comprehensive guide to all the cemeteries and memorials in the area of Ypres. Not just British and Commonwealth, but Belgian, French and German as well. Out of print, but still easily obtainable.

Reed, Paul - Walking The Salient (Pen & Sword 1999)

- A walkers guide to the Ypres Salient, with twelve walks across the Wet Flanders Plain, covering most of the battlefield area. Includes details of more than 50 Ypres cemeteries, and many unpublished photographs and maps. Still in print 2002.

GENERAL ACOUNTS

Brice, Beatrix - The Battle Book of Ypres (John Murray 1927)

- A geographical gazetteer of the Ypres battlefields with hundreds of entries for individual villages, woods, sites, trenches and positions. An invaluable reference work. Reprinted by Tom Donovan in the 1990s.

Brice, Beatrix - The Immortal Salient (John Murray 1927)

- Subtitled 'An Historical Record and Complete Guide for Pilgrims to Ypres' the book was published by the Ypres League to assist visitors to the battlefields in the 1920s. It has an excellent map and a useful index of the cemeteries. Now long out of print and only available from specialist book dealers.

Evans, Martin Marix - Passchendaele & The Battles of Ypres 1914-1918 (Osprey Military 1997)

- Although it is a large size, 'coffee table' type book, this is an excellent summary of the battle, with good photographs and excellent maps. Still available from Osprey Publishing.

Giles, John - Ypres Then & Now (After The Battle)

- Originally published in the 1970s, this is the final edition before the author's death in 1991. It serves as an excellent introduction to the Ypres area, has numerous Then & Now photographs, good maps and has inspired many generations of battlefield visitors. Still in print 2002.

Hart, Peter & Steel, Nigel - Passchendaele: The Sacrificial Ground (Cassell & Co 2000)

- A comprehensive and useful study of the Battle of Passchendaele, by two authors who work at the Imperial War Museum. Paperback edition still in print.

REFERENCE BOOKS

Gliddon, Gerald - VCs of the First World War: Arras & Messines 1917 (Alan Sutton 1998)

- A standard reference work giving short biographies of all those who were awarded the Victoria Cross in the fighting at Messines in June 1917. Still in print 2002.

Snelling, Stephen - VCs of the First World War: Passchendaele 1917 (Alan Sutton 1998)

- A standard reference work and companion volume to that above, giving short biographies of all those who were awarded the Victoria Cross in the fighting at Passchendaele in 1917. Still in print 2002.

McCarthy, Chris - Passchendaele: The Day By Day Account (Arms & Armour Press 1995)

- A day by day diary of the Battle of Passchendaele, giving a summerised account of the action that day and the involvement in it of British and Commonwealth divisions. Good photographs and a selection of trench maps over-layed with the positions of various divisions at different dates.

Westlake, Ray - British Battalions in 1914 (Leo Cooper 1997)

- A superb reference work, which contains the summaries of every war diary of every infantry battalion that fought during the year 1914. This gives details of their movements, casualties and accounts of their actions on at First Ypres. Highly recommended. Still in print 2002.

Westlake, Ray - British Battalions January - June 1915 (Leo Cooper 2001)

- A superb reference work, which contains the summaries of every war diary of every infantry battalion that fought during the period January - June 1915. This gives details of their movements, casualties and accounts of their actions in the Ypres Salient, including Second Ypres. Highly recommended. Still in print 2002.