The Battle of Fromelles 1916 by Roger Lee

[green_acorn]

Out of the blue about thirty minutes ago I received a copy of this new book, The Battle of Fromelles 1916 by Roger Lee, ISBN 9780980658293. The book seeks to explain the strategic and tactical circumstance which lead to the battle, the tactical conduct of that battle, the aftermath and the more recent events which have lead to the successful recovery and reinterment in a new cemetery to be dedicated next Monday, the 19th July 2010. Roger is the Head of the Australian Army History Unit and the Australian Army's Historian and has been intimately involved in the fromelles story since Lambis first approached AHU, this is Roger's first book.

I have not started reading it in detail yet, but have briefly scanned through and quickly read the chapter explaining the process from the first time Lambis Engelos approached the Australian Army about un-recovered war dead through to quite recently. I would commend the book to anyone with an interest in the Battle of Fromelles and just as importantly to those with an interest in the recovery process of our war dead.

The book is available from Big Sky Publishing in Australia at this link The Battle of Fromelles

As I mentioned I have not started reading it yet and can't "review" it in detail, but I thought it both timely and topical to get notice out to GWF Pals that the book is out there.

Cheers,

Hendo

[Michael Molkentin]

I led a tour group on a WF tour last week which included the Fromelles ceremony. The family members of identified soldiers received a copy of Roger Lee's book- it's the first I had seen of it. One of the passengers let me borrow it for a look and I read most of it on the trip back to Paris. It really is an outstanding book- its strength is in its clarity of explanation and the quality of the maps, diagrams and photographs. I highly recommend it.

Michael