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Passchendaele

The Story of the Third Battle of Ypres 1917

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

'Four years of war turned Ypres into a ghost town. Not a leaf grew on a tree. Scarcely one stone stood upon another. From the battered ramparts the eye swept clean across a field of rubble to the swamp-lands beyond . . .'

The Third Battle of Ypres, ending in a desperate struggle for the ridge and little village of Passchendaele, was one of the most appalling campaigns in the history of warfare. A million Tommies, Canadians and Anzacs assembled at the Ypres Salient in summer of 1917, mostly raw young troops keen to do their bit for King and Country. This book tells their tale of mounting disillusion amid mud, terror and increasingly desperate attacks, yet it is also a story of immense courage, comradeship, high spirits and hope.

In Passchendaele, Lyn Macdonald lets over 600 soldiers speak for themselves. In doing so, she portrays events from the only point of view that really matters.

© Lyn MacDonald 2013 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 20th Century Europe Military Modern Political Science Politics & Government United States World

Critic reviews

Lyn Macdonald writes splendidly and touchingly
It is rare to find a history of the First World War which manages to convey the front-line soldiers' experiences and to describe what it was that enabled those who survived to get through it. Lyn Macdonald has done just that
Her basic inspiration is compassion, her technique is scrupulously painstaking. And her application in finding, interviewing and editing innumerable contributions can only be admired
All stars
Most relevant
This is my second Lyn MacDonald audio book after Roses of No mans land.
This second book was offen a very harrowing story,not shy of telling of the full horrors of The battle for Passchendael. What the soldiers endured was horrific. It is not surprising that it was call the Hell of Passchendael.
Despite all the grim horrors, I enjoyed the book, and would definitely recommend it. Once again beautifully narrated by Alison Dowling.

Another First-class listen

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In 1989 I had the honour of dining with Lyn MacDonald and General Sir John Akehurst at a restaurant at Zonnebeke on Passchendaele Ridge. She had brought with her some survivors of The Great War that had fought there in 1917. An unforgettable evening indeed. This book brought back all the horrifying stories that were told to me then. Highly recommended. The narration is excellent.

Brilliant Book

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I read this book many years ago and it it effected me deeply. I knew one on the participants when I was a boy, whose story featured in the book. I knew him as a lovely gentle old man called Doctor Annan, who was retired. In the book he was Lieutenant Jim Annan of 9th Royal Scots who went through hell at Minty’s Farm. He was my mates Grandad.
I purchased the audiobook recently and experienced even more powerful emotions listening to the superb narrator take me again on that bloody journey to the top of the Passchendale ridge where the flower of a generation were sacrificed.

A story that needed to be told

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I didn't realise this was written in 1980. When listening, there were dated comments about generals and chateaus. the personal accounts are fascinating especially as I walked the ground a few weeks ago.

Good read but dated in parts.

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So well described, the appalling, unimaginable conditions endured by men fighting for their country, One could almost smell the death, destruction and sense the despair. The narration was superb, capturing the various accents heightened the experience.

Incredibly well read and brilliantly narrated, does justice to the wonderful.writing

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