Official History Maps (Western Front)

[MartinWills]

For some time the loose official history maps for the Western Front volumes have been available on a single CD from Naval & Military Press. They have also issued separately the "non Western Front" maps. These used proprietory compression and reading software (ermapper) as well as security/encryption to police disc copyright. As I understand it these discs are not usable with Windows Vista either.

The Western Front Association is embarking on making a range of maps for the westen front and other theatres available on DVD and amongst the first is a volume of the Official History maps described as "The Official History Maps - This single DVD contains "The Official History Maps". This is not, however, quite what it seems and does not bear well in comparison with the Naval & Military Press Issues.

The WFA have said at the outset that it is effectively large bare "jpeg" files which the user will need to know how to read and view. That in itself is not an issue, and it is fair to say that the quality of reproduction is better in general that the N&M maps. Given the prerequisite of software to view and manipulate large jpeg files (up to 60Mb and more) the quality is excellent and the facility to cut and crop and mark-up using photo manipulation software will help greatly to produce and print maps of specific areas for personal use. Those with access to large printers will probably also enjoy producing printouts in A2, A1 or even A0 sizes. For those without viewing software the "ermapper" viewer at version 7.1 is included. If you chose to install this note that it asks you to delete earlier versions which you may have installed if you have the earleir N&M discs of OH maps and/or trench maps. Doing this may make it impossible to read the N&M discs.

I can only say that making these maps available at what may be regarded as a reasonable cost (£20 to WFA members; £25 to non members plus £1.50 p&p for each title) is a really positive step for anyone who has reprint copies of the official history or perhaps lacks the maps that came with the originals. The disc also comes with lots of general information, reading list, etc which provides a good additional resource

Unfortunately the disc falls somewhat short of its description. Billed as "The Official History Maps - This single DVD contains the Official History Maps" you need to know that it only contains maps from the Western Front Volumes of the Official History, and not the other theatres. Furthermore it only contains some of the loose maps and diagrams/sketches which were contained in separately issued Map Cases. Those included comprise:

1914 Vol 1

1914 Vol 2

1915 Vol 1

1915 Vol 2

1916 Vol 1

1916 Vol 2 (they actually came as "Maps & Appendices")

1917 Vol 1

1918 Vol 1

Transportation on the Western Front

Whilst this sounds fine taken at face value you need to realise that this is not the full extent of the Official History Maps (even just for the Western Front).

Other volumes in the series also included loose maps tucked into cover pockets.

The disc does not include the following, all of which can be found on the Naval & Military disc:

The maps from the 1918 Volume 2 Map Case (some 26 maps)

The loose maps provided with the following text volumes:

1917 Vol 2 - One Map of the Battle of Ypres

1917 Vol 3 - Two Maps and One sketch

1918 Vol 3 - Two Maps

1918 Vol 4 - Four Maps

Those people who have (or have used) the reprints of the Official History will also know that the Maps (often called sketches) bound into the volumes suffer when reproduced in black & white rather than the original colour and it would have been an excellent move to consider including scans of these in colour as well. It certainly would have added greatly to the coverage and desirability of the disc. Space for the maps not incuded would not appear to be a factor either as the DVD (typical capacity something approaching 4.7Gb) is only filled to some 1.17Gb.

All in all this is a valiant and worthwhile exercise in making maps readily available in digital format at a reasonable price which lets itself down badly when you realise not so much what is included but what is omitted. As a minimum it should have included all the loose maps from the Western Front Volumes. To add the loose maps from the "other theatre" volumes would have been a real plus and a real factor to differentiate it from other products would have been to include the "bound in" maps and sketches scanned in colour. Had this been done this particular disc would have a "must have" at the price. As it is, it is somewhat of a disappointment.