The Forts of the Meuse in World War I

Reviewed by John Prigent

Summary

FirstRead

Fortress 60, The Forts of the Meuse in World War I, by Clayton Donnell, illustrated by H Johnson, L Ray & B Delf, Osprey Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-84603-114-4, 64 pages

The Belgian forts around Liege and Namur held up the initial German attack of World War I just long enough for the French to redeploy and the British to arrive. Without them it is probable that Paris would have fallen and the German been victorious in weeks, so they are well worthy of this study.

They were never intended to withstand the impact of 20th century guns of twice the calibre known when they were designed 25 years earlier, and the gallantry and determination of their Belgian defenders cannot be praised too highly.

Here is how they were built, how they were lived in by their garrisons, and how they fought the German attack. Plenty of photographs both old and modern are backed up by good colour plates, and if you have any interest in the Great War this is a book you should not miss. This is good reference for anyone wanting to model early-WWI figures, too!
 

Highly Recommended!

Thanks to Osprey Publishing for the review sample