Roy Evans Posted 6 April , 2008 Share Posted 6 April , 2008 I am in awe of this book. The depth of information is amazing, the writing style fluid and presentation superb. The 46th Division was mistakenly thought by some to be the worst performing Division on the 1st day of the Somme, this book gives an insight into the task faced by the “under strength and exhausted Division, swept by serious illness but ordered to attack the strongest point in the German lines.” I have no hesitation in recommending this book as an informative and readable piece of research. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick D Posted 6 April , 2008 Share Posted 6 April , 2008 Totally agree, I'm waiting for his other book to be published, I'll be buying it. Mick D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMG65 Posted 6 April , 2008 Share Posted 6 April , 2008 What is his other book that is about to be published? Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 6 April , 2008 Share Posted 6 April , 2008 Due to re publish his 56th London Book re their efforts at Gommecourt and poss researching a new volume on the Redan Ridge. TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 7 April , 2008 Share Posted 7 April , 2008 "A Lack of Offensive Spirit" - superb book. Anyone with an interest in the Battle of The Somme should read this and his previous book, soon to be republished as stated above, "Pro Patria Mori". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 7 April , 2008 Share Posted 7 April , 2008 Author and publisher please. Regards David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 7 April , 2008 Share Posted 7 April , 2008 See the thread "46th Division at Gommecourt" in "Chit Chat" section for details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 7 April , 2008 Share Posted 7 April , 2008 Author and publisher please. Also knwon as BMac IIRC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n cherry Posted 7 April , 2008 Share Posted 7 April , 2008 Also knwon as BMac IIRC Correct Alan Macdonald are Bills middle names......IIRC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Connolly Posted 8 April , 2008 Share Posted 8 April , 2008 Bmac was kind enough to reply in considerable detail to a request of mine about how many copies he'd sold, whether he'd broken even and whether a publisher might be interested in picking his book up, when he was quite entitled to tell me to b****r off for being a nosey oik! Nice to see someone's hobby being appreciated so much. I will get a copy when payday rolls around, honest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoffLeese Posted 19 April , 2008 Share Posted 19 April , 2008 Bmac was kind enough to reply in considerable detail to a request of mine about how many copies he'd sold, whether he'd broken even and whether a publisher might be interested in picking his book up, when he was quite entitled to tell me to b****r off for being a nosey oik! Nice to see someone's hobby being appreciated so much. I will get a copy when payday rolls around, honest! A splendid book that I'm enjoying a great deal. As one born and brought up in the Potteries though, it's a great shame early on the the author includes Newcastle under Lyme in the "Six Towns" and misses poor old Tunstall! At least he got the one that Bennett and most others miss - my current home town of Fenton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 3 May , 2008 Share Posted 3 May , 2008 Well started this book in March and took it to Foncquevillers. Inspired me and lead me to a most remarkable battlefield find. Continued reading the book absorbing every detail! I have only just completed the read. Absolutely fantastic read. Pending new material I doubt there is much more to say about this ghastley day of battle and how it cast its shadow across so many in so many different ways. I can only wait for the reprint of the 56th Div on the same day. When is it due? Bmac, simply superb, thankyou. Highly recommended. TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmac Posted 3 May , 2008 Share Posted 3 May , 2008 TT et al, Thanks for the very kind comments. Makes it all worthwhile... New version of PPM hopefully mid-June. I have some trips to make to Colindale to the British newspaper archive and one more to the NA and that is basically it. Takes four weeks to get completed books from the printer, i.e. 2 weeks for a proof copy and another 2 weeks after that for copies for sale. Cheers Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick D Posted 3 May , 2008 Share Posted 3 May , 2008 Bill, I take it that you will let us know via this forum when its out ? Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmac Posted 3 May , 2008 Share Posted 3 May , 2008 Absolutely! Got to pay for it somehow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Robertson Posted 3 May , 2008 Share Posted 3 May , 2008 Sorry to be slow on the pick-up of this thread but if Roy says that this is an excellent read then it must be. Where can I get a cheap copy from? (just in case Roy is wrong ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmac Posted 3 May , 2008 Share Posted 3 May , 2008 You can get a discounted copy here http://www.gommecourt.co.uk/forumshop.html. A special offer for Forum members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlet165 Posted 15 June , 2008 Share Posted 15 June , 2008 You can get a discounted copy here http://www.gommecourt.co.uk/forumshop.html. A special offer for Forum members. Good to agree with all the others, an excellent read, packed with detail, and i mean packed, yet not a dry book, once the 1st starts i had to actually put it down and walk away for a while, in a emotional moment i mean. If you have'nt got this book, WHY not!! Oh and very nice chap to talk to via e-mail as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick D Posted 16 June , 2008 Share Posted 16 June , 2008 Bill, any update on the release of "Pro Patria Mori"? Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanCurragh Posted 16 June , 2008 Share Posted 16 June , 2008 Mick - not trying to steal Bill's thunder, but this is what he said on another thread five days ago... Alan The revision is on its last legs (and so am I!!). I am trying to get it finished this week (but last week I hoped to have it finished then) and, if I do, there is an outside chance of copies being available at the beginning of July. It has expanded by over 150 pages with a lot of extra anecdotal detail, a chapter on the treatment of Prisoners of War, etc., so quite a lot of new material. I'll post a further message when it goes to the printers. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick D Posted 16 June , 2008 Share Posted 16 June , 2008 Thanks for that Alan, I hadn't seen Bill's post in relation to this ! Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 6 July , 2008 Share Posted 6 July , 2008 Can a sequel be better than the original? In truth, I’m not sure it can. But it can get close. As with “Pro Patria Mori”, Alan/Bill approaches his work with an attention to detail that has astonished me ever since he sent me a page of the draft of PPM years ago. Travelling the same route as before, he builds a daily account of the build up to 1 July that remains fascinating. As before, pages in these chapters carry footnotes of the details of the men killed that day. There is much to read for those of us with an interest in the medical service or the artillery. If I am honest, I don’t have too much interest in the artillery and found myself quickly skimming through these sometimes lengthy accounts and tables of ammunition expended. By comparison, PPM was avidly read page by page, even though I had no abiding interest in Gommecourt. That criticism aside, the surviving records have allowed a somewhat different and far more interesting story to be told of at least some of the participating units. It is so rare to be able to read so many first hand accounts of the experiences of “Other Ranks” presumably culled from post-battle official reports. Would that all research in the dusty archives of Kew was that rewarding. Of course, for anyone with a particular interest in the 46th Division, this book will be a “must”. For those with a more general interest, it’ll be a worthwhile addition to the bookshelves even if, like me, you don’t read every word. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmac Posted 6 July , 2008 Share Posted 6 July , 2008 John, Thanks for the comments, well, most of them I, too, started with an instinctive sympathy for the infantry. The brave men who faced the machine guns and the wire with a courage I can never comprehend. As the research went on, however, I came to appreciate that you can't interpret any WW1 battle without a thorough understanding of the artillery (on both sides). And, of course, artillery killed far more men than any other weapon. My interest has since grown to the extent that I am contemplating further research into the uses of the artillery along the whole 1st July front. I am reminded, without being cheeky, of the response of a very good musician to my late brother's comment c. 1967 that he had been 'palmed off' with the job of bass player in a newly formed school band. "That's like a body part complaining it has been given the job of the heart". In some ways I feel the same way about the guns and gunners of all armies thus the emphasis on these weapons. Cheers Bill PS I have updated the web site with some information about the new version of PPM and a greatly expanded photo gallery of men who fell at Gommecourt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enoch beard Posted 8 July , 2008 Share Posted 8 July , 2008 You can get a discounted copy here http://www.gommecourt.co.uk/forumshop.html. A special offer for Forum members. that will teach me to read all posts before ordering a copy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmac Posted 8 July , 2008 Share Posted 8 July , 2008 Offer still open!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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