Chateau Thierry & Belleau Wood 1918 - Osprey Campaign

I had only glanced through this book to this point so when I flew out to Kansas City I grabbed this one to read on the plane. As far as quick concise guide to the battle and the events leading up to that battle (on both sides of the line) this is a great book. I found myself frequently frustrated when consulting the maps though. There are two or three key hills that are featured in the battle and mentioned in the book. However, those hills are not pointed out on any of the maps. Since they are key terrain features it would have been nice to actually see where they were on the battlefield so you could better see the impact these features had on the battle. Otherwise an excellent book to get a an overview of the battle and how it progressed.

"Fortifications of the Western Front 1914-1918" - Paddy Griffith

I just finished reading my newly arrived copy of “Fortifications of the Western Front 1914-1918” by Osprey, part of their Fortress series. This one got into the detail I was really looking for as far as how and why trenches were constructed and what their role on the battlefield was during this period. Well written and with pictures, original diagrams and drawings this one will give me a good start on building trench terrain for my foray into the Great War period. If you are giving thought on building a trench system for any period from WWI up this is an excellent resource.