Book Review: Between The Coast & The Western Front

Between The Coast And The Western Front by Sandra Gittins (History Press 2014, ISBN 978 0 7509 5843 1, 96pp, paperback, fully illustrated, £16.99)

The recent flood of books about the Great War have often concentrated on events on the battlefield, in the trenches and shell holes of the Western Front, but life away from the fighting has been greatly neglected. This new title fills this gap nicely with a really superb volume looking at everything from the British Army Supply chain to the medical services and transportation including railways but also barges and the various types of transport used on the road. Chapters examine these subjects in detail and cover the work by units like the Army Service Corps, Royal Engineers, Labour Corps and also the work of women behind the lines.

The book is well illustrated with a fantastic array of images from official sources and also some from private collections, showing aspects of the Great War rarely covered in mainstream books. This was an excellent book I greatly enjoyed and sat down and read in one sitting. An engaging and original title covering little known aspects of the Great War.

The book is available from the History Press website.