Holding Out was published by Cambridge University Press in April 2023, in both hardback and electronic formats; a paperback edition will follow in early 2025.
The book analyses the German army and its operational command in the First World War through a case study of the major Entente Western Front offensive of spring 1917 (the battle of Arras and Nivelle offensive). It shows how German command worked by identifying five main tasks in early 1917. In assessing how well the army fulfilled these tasks, the book systematically compares pre-war thinking and developments in the early war period with events in 1917; and it distinguishes the German army’s doctrine and reputation from what actually happened.
This approach produces new insights on German command including the complex interrelationship between traditional principles, military organisation and personal factors; the increasing role of intelligence in operations; the difficulty of converting lessons learned into practice and the resulting persistence of certain tactical problems; and the system for mitigating the effects of attrition.
The book’s findings are relevant to other periods and fronts of the First World War. It therefore illustrates the story of the German army throughout the war, and so contributes to the key debate on how Germany was able to hold out for so long.