Those who have travelled the battlefields of the Western Front will probably be fully aware of, and appreciate, the work put in by Rose Coombs, which resulted in Before Endeavours Fade. After the Battle have now revised her work again, and produced a 12th edition. This version has been expanded, and the routes revised to take advantage of changes in the road systems. It follows the format of the previous editions with clear directions, appropriate maps and relevant photographs, both contemporary and modern, although unfortunately all are in black and white.

For the traveller of the Western Front it is a valuable guide which will provide them with an outline history of the places visited, outlines of what happened there, and direct them to places of interest connected to the Great War. Although it concentrates on the ground war, there are elements which would interest the aviation historian.

The reviewer has used a previous edition in his travels around the Western Front and would recommend using this book in conjunction with Mike O’Connor’s books on Airfields and Airmen. However, good maps and (unless you have SatNav) a navigator are essential.