Rats Alley

Trench Names of the Western Front, 1914–1918

This book makes it possible to comprehend, via the trench naming, the daily life in the trenches, the vast range of weaponry and the lethal nature of the titanic battles

When first published in 2006, Rats Alley was a ground-breaking piece of research, the first-ever study of trench names of the Western Front. Now, in this fully updated and revised second edition, the gazetteer has been extended to well over 20,000 trench names, complete with map references – in itself an essential tool for any First World War researcher.

However, combined with the finely considered history and analysis of trench naming during the First World War, this is an edition that no military history enthusiast should be without. Discover when, how and why British trenches were first named and follow the names’ fascinating development throughout the First World War, alongside details of French and German trench-naming practices.

Looked at from both contemporary and modern points of view, the names reveal the full horror of trench warfare and throw an extraordinary sidelight on the cultural life of the period, and the landscape and battles of the Western Front. Names such as Lovers Lane, Idiot Corner, Cyanide Trench, Crazy Redoubt, Doleful Post, Furies Trench, Peril Avenue, Lunatic Sap and Gangrene Alley can be placed in context.

With useful information on where original trench maps are held, and how to obtain copies, Rats Alley is a vital volume for both military and family historians.

Contributor: Alan Sillitoe (Foreword by)

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