Table of Contents

Chronology · Joining up · Joining the regiment · Uniforms · Equipment and weapons - personal weapons - hand grenades - machine guns - trench artillery · Into the trenches · In action · Out of the trenches - casualties

Promotional Information

A fascinating insight into the wartime experiences of the French poilu from the horrors of the trenches to the fear of no-man's land.

About the Author

Ian Sumner was born in 1953 in Eccles, near Manchester, UK. He originally trained as a librarian in Newcastle-upon-Tyne but now devotes himself to full-time writing. He has written numerous titles for Osprey, and also several books on the history of the East Riding of Yorkshire, where he now lives with his wife. He has written a number of books on the French soldier in World War I and contributed to Osprey's War on the Western Front.

Reviews

"[This book] tells how [the Poilu] were recruited, how they were trained, how they were clothed, the weapons that they used, and the tactics they used. It tells of life in the trenches, during battles and what happened to them once they were wounded. They were fighting for their nation as were all troops in that war, and thanks to author Sumner, we can get a good look at what it was like to be one of these men... A book that I found eminently readable and fascinating. I know you will as well." --Scott Van Aken, modelingmadness.com (March 2009)