46 replies to this topic

[gem22]

Good news; the book arrived in the post this morning. That's three weeks earlier than the expected publishing date as mentioned in an earlier post.
Just need to finish reading Arras and then I can start on this. Perhaps then I'll think about visiting Verdun!

Garth

[SWorrall]

Perhaps mine will also arrive today then.

Don't delay any longer, get yourself down to Verdun. If the weather is clear then get up early, well before dawn, and take in the sunrise from the top of Douaumont, the view down over the Woevre is incredible.
Last time I was there the drive up from town to the forts at 04:00 revealed the wildlife of the area out for an early breakfast. Deer, rabbits, etc. Added an extra pleasure to the drive.
No-one else around at that time, not another soul to be seen.

And be sure to equip yourself with all of Christina's publications, you'll not find better guidebooks in the English language.

Simon.

[THE SHINY SEVENTH]

Just ordered mine along with Ian Sumner's: they shall not pass. Cant wait to get down to Verdun myself, hopefully very soon. Sean

[seadog]

Verdun is a definite "must visit" for anyone interested in the Great War.

FORT VAUX





Norman

[Christina Holstein]

I hope you enjoy Fort Vaux and that you get down to Verdun. I agree with SWorral on getting up early to catch the sunrise and the wild animals. Evening twilight is another time that makes you think, if only to be glad that you don't have to be there in the dark.

I'll be interested in any feedback you may have and I'll answer any questions too, at least, I'll try!

Christina

[THE SHINY SEVENTH]

Hi Christina, my copy turned up yesterday, its now on the bedside cupboard ready for tonight regards Sean

[SWorrall]

Mine arrived this week (along with Sumner's book).

Working my way through Steiner's 'Britain and the Origins of the First World War' at the moment, so contemplation of Verdun will have to wait for a short while.

Thinking that I must use the week after the Somme commemorations to make a trip down to Verdun, with Christina's various works in hand of course.
Then the following weekend doing a trip from Mons to the Marne.

Simon.

[somme visitor]

Been waiting a long time since the Fort Douaumont volume and Fort Vaux turned up today. Can't wait to read this one and do some of the walks. I love Verdun and the surrounding area nearly as much as the Somme.
Richard

[Marilyne]

If you want to go to Verdun, take one thing with you: TIME !!

I had planned a three day visit this month but had to cancel because my accomodation plans failed ... don't ask!!

I remember my first visit of Verdun, which was horrible: we visited the fort of Fermont (part of the Ligne Maginot) in the morning, having come down from Arlon, then went back to a tank unti from the French Army, nearly one hour drive from there, for lunch (could have taken a packed lunch and eat it on one of the sites in the red zones, foreseen for that but no...) and then we went to Verdun, where we did the museum, the ossuaire, the tranchée des Baïonettes and the area aroud Vaux in two hours and a bit. Had a somewhat makeshift explanation in front of the museum, then 10minutes free (had a bunch of our cadets around me asking questions about uniforms I never had the chance to answer because "will you hurry, the bus is waiting!!" and at the ossuaire, the had our sport of the day: running up the tower, make some pictures of the "nécropole nationale" in two minutes, run down again and being shouted at a second tme because the bus was waiting. 5 minutes at the baïo trench and then up to Vaux. So of the 2 hours visit, half of it was passed in the bus and then back to Arlon. We saw everything in Verdun, but in reality, absolutely nothing. So much for the cultural day of our cadets. Most of them only remembered the fact that the film "Les Rivières Pourpres 2" with Jean Reno had been filmed in Fermont.
Lost day, really!!

So, lesson of the day: take your time in Verdun, I'm sure Christina Holstein would agree on that!!


Marilyne

[Christina Holstein]

I certainly would agree, Marilyne. What a terrible day you had!

I am not an admirer of short tours of Verdun but then I wouldn't be, would I? The standard half day tour takes in the Memorial, one of the forts, the Ossuary and the Trench of Bayonets and in my view that doesn't leave any time to understand what happened or - because the ground is so heavily forested - why the various sites were important. Oh for the trees to miraculously disappear and the sight lines to be clear again.

Christina

[SteveMarsdin]

Christina Holstein, on 20 March 2012 - 03:20 PM, said:

I certainly would agree, Marilyne. What a terrible day you had!

Christina

Hi Christina. Marilyne,

Yes your trip did try to cram too much in, much better to visit one part of the battlefield (perhaps using a certain CH's walking guide ) and keep going back ! I hope you had enough time at Fermont ?...... but I can think of worse days !!!

[Marilyne]

We just did the guided tour in Fermont. including showing the part of the movie filmed in the fort and the guide talking about how maybe one would sit at the same place as Jean Reno in the movie ( ) It was summer camp 2006.  

Honestly, I more  pity my cadets. You have those young soldiers to which you try to teach something, like how war really was, after one year of learning modern tactics and then your own superiors come up with a day like that. Sometimes I think donkey's have not completely quit our armies ... and I hope never to become one!!


And yes Steve, of course I use walking guides from some people we know ... when I start on the historical guides for the Yzer march in august, I mostly start with comparing the routes with the maps in the Battlefield Europe series of Ypres to set out the themes and the overal content of the Guide. they are really useful.

[SteveMarsdin]

Marilyne, on 21 March 2012 - 09:56 AM, said:

We just did the guided tour in Fermont.

Hi Marilyne,

I used to prefer Fermont when it was a bit less sanitised and more like going down a coal mine ! To cater for and attract more visitors they have developed the museum and seem to have tidied up a lot underground, it does make it easier doing the health and safety assessment for taking schoolkids round. Also, as they were English, we didn't get the Jean Reno distraction.

[Marilyne]

Talking about Verdun, some other news.

A colleague was in Douaumont yesterday, after a short trip to Paris and tols us there were renovations works going on. then another colleague, who was in Cissone, not far from Verdun two weeks ago, asked if it was due to the profanations ... Hein?? So I searched it up.

Some idiots (sorry, don't have another word for it), broke into the ossuary two weeks ago and stole some skulls !!!!!!


Here some articles:

http://www.lexpress....ne_1091456.html

http://www.francesoi...nse-194004.html

http://www.francesoi...ont-194162.html

UNBELIEVABLE!!


Marilyne

[Christina Holstein]

It is unbelievable that anyone would break into the Ossuary. It has been discussed on this Forum on other threads that I can't find at the moment. The renovations are intended to refurbish the Ossuary in time for 2014 and are not as a result of the profanations. The work started last year on both the Ossuary and the cemetery in front of it.

Christina

[Christina Holstein]

You'll find more discussion of the break in at the Douaumont ossuary under Chit-Chat and Battlefields in Danger.

Christina

[THE SHINY SEVENTH]

Great little book Christina, (Fort Douaumont volume next, me thinks) cant wait to get down there and put the tour section to good use Regards Sean

[Guy]

Hi Richard

I have been to verdun several times.  Christina has also published a book called "Walking Verdun"  If you like Fort Douamont and walking te area this book is an absolute must.  It gives the history of the battle and the area you are going to walk and then what is there now.  There are 9 walks in the battle field and one of the town.

I am looking foward to Vaux turning up and re-visiting with the detailed history.

All the best and hope the walkings good

Guy

but

somme visitor, on 19 March 2012 - 06:54 PM, said:

Been waiting a long time since the Fort Douaumont volume and Fort Vaux turned up today. Can't wait to read this one and do some of the walks. I love Verdun and the surrounding area nearly as much as the Somme.
Richard

[Christina Holstein]

Thanks, Sean. That's the first feedback I've had. I hope you enjoy the walks when you get there and that it all makes sense on the ground.

Guy - I'm glad you like Walking Verdun. If it brings the battle to life and makes it understandable, that's great. That's what I tried to do.

Christina

[MJames]

Nigel Cave’s forward to the latest addition to the Battleground Verdun series says “ It is somewhat strange that the best guides to this battlefield ..... happen to be in English”. I would totally agree about the quality of the Verdun guides written by Christina Holstein. Her guide to Fort Vaux and the surrounding area is full of interesting detail and accounts and includes, for the first time I am aware of, colour photographs in the text.

I visited Fort Vaux last year but unfortunately this guide was not available then so was unable to follow the accounts of the fighting within the fort and see the locations described. (Just to note, the passage to the 75mm turret was closed when I visited last year so do not know whether it will be able to complete all of the tours listed in the book. this year.)

An excellent read that I could not put down and which brought back happy memories of my visit to Verdun.

One question for Christina (and Pen & Sword Books) – will there be a volume in the series covering the Left Bank (Cote 304, Le Mort Homme and Bois d’Avocourt)? I also visited these places last year but the covering of trees makes it difficult to fully understand the fighting there from March to May 1916, so a guide to these less well known battlefields would be invaluable.

Martin  

[egbert]

MJames, on 17 June 2012 - 11:36 AM, said:

Nigel Cave’s forward to the latest addition to the Battleground Verdun series says “ It is somewhat strange that the best guides to this battlefield ..... happen to be in English”. I would totally agree about the quality of the Verdun guides written by Christina Holstein.
Martin  

While Christina's books are truly amazing and interesting, it is not fair to say that the best guides happen to be in English.
There are a lot of super excellent guide books in German language like the series "Miltärgeschichtlicher Reiseführer of Mittler Verlag" or Markus Klauer's own Verlag and series "Militärgeschichtlicher Reiseführer" and so many more......

[THE SHINY SEVENTH]

egbert, on 17 June 2012 - 01:04 PM, said:

There are a lot of super excellent guide books in German language like the series "Miltärgeschichtlicher Reiseführer of Mittler Verlag" or Markus Klauer's own Verlag and series "Militärgeschichtlicher Reiseführer" and so many more......

That's easy for you to say.............

[Nigel Cave]

egbert, on 17 June 2012 - 01:04 PM, said:

While Christina's books are truly amazing and interesting, it is not fair to say that the best guides happen to be in English.
There are a lot of super excellent guide books in German language like the series "Miltärgeschichtlicher Reiseführer of Mittler Verlag" or Markus Klauer's own Verlag and series "Militärgeschichtlicher Reiseführer" and so many more......

Hi Egbert,

Point taken - my German is not up to the standard of prolonged reading - I can manage the odd para or two. I must admit I did not notice any German guides when I was last down there, some years ago - and I probably would not have 'seen' them as I was not looking for them, if you see what I mean. I suppose my comment could have been refined to: 1. In French and 2. Easily available at a reasonable price - I expect there is some very good French stuff out there but perhaps not 'aimed' at the popular market.

[seadog]

Almost forgot,

BE WARNED OF THE MOSQUITOS IN THE AREA

Late Spring though early Summer – a complete menace so

BE PREPARED

Norman

[keithjk]

Christina, every trip I make to Verdun is followed soon afterwards by the publication of another of your superb books.  They always point out things that I missed on my last visit, sometimes by only a few feet.  The advantage of this is that it gives me an excuse to go back yet again to what is a fascinating, emotive battlefield, made even more accessible by your books.  Keep them coming please.

Keith