Taking the Ridge : Anzacs and Germans at the Battle of Messines 1917

Meticulously researched and drawing on soldiers' diaries and letters as well as previously unpublished New Zealand and German archival material, Taking the Ridge tells the story of New Zealand's great victory of the First World War, the Battle of Messines 1917. This historical geography describes the battlefield and how it was shaped in previous fighting. It then places the New Zealand soldiers within the context of their military structure and the connections with other Anzac divisions before narrating the battle and the Anzac and German soldiers' actions there using modern maps. It relates the battle's aftermath and the New Zealand Division's subsequent engagements in 1917, including Passchendaele. Finally it calculates the costs of victory and casts a critical eye over the New Zealanders' command.

Meticulously researched and drawing on soldiers' diaries and letters as well as New Zealand, Australian, British and German archival material, Taking the Ridge for the first time shows what the First World War battlefield and battle was like for soldiers on both sides in June 1917. The historical and geographical detail, contemporary photographs and specially drawn maps, all bring the story alive. Many readers will be able to trace the movements and actions of their soldier ancestors.