Vimy Ridge: A Canadian Reassessment.

Sidney Allinson is a Victoria-based communications consultant, Canadian
news correspondent for Britain’s The Army Quarterly and Defence, and
author of The Bantams: The Untold Story of World War I.

As acknowledged experts on Canadian participation in World War One, the three military historians who compiled this study are particularly well equipped to select these commentaries on one of our country’s most epic battles. The result is a compendium of 20 cogently written opinions and reports about the final bloody struggle for possession of Vimy Ridge, now considered not only an important military victory but also a defining moment for Canadian nationhood.

They tell how (unusually for those days) the Canadian troops at all levels of rank were given detailed briefings on the planned strategy before the attack was launched, which enabled even private soldiers to surge forward confidently to fight a “corporal’s battle,” often independent of direction by officers.

Putting the struggle into context, the book looks at the hill’s strategic significance, the seldom-mentioned British participation, and the German point-of-view. It also provides insights about the personalities and military styles of various senior officers, including Canadian Corps Commander General Julian Byng and Major General Arthur Currie, who insisted on meticulous preparations before the attack by his First Canadian Division.

Excellent photographs show Canadian warriors of all ranks who fought so valiantly that day, and good clear maps help readers follow tactical moves during the battle. This retrospective provides a thorough explanation of exactly why those monumental concrete towers now stand atop Vimy Ridge.