Passchendaele

The Story of the Third Battle of Ypres 1917

By: Lyn MacDonald

Narrated by: Alison Dowling

Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's Summary

Brought to you by Penguin. 

Four years of war turned Ypres into a ghost town. Not a leaf grew on a tree. Scarcely one stone stood upon another. From the battered ramparts the eye swept clean across a field of rubble to the swamp-lands beyond....

The Third Battle of Ypres, ending in a desperate struggle for the ridge and little village of Passchendaele, was one of the most appalling campaigns in the history of warfare. A million Tommies, Canadians and Anzacs assembled at the Ypres Salient in summer of 1917, mostly raw young troops keen to do their bit for king and country. This book tells their tale of mounting disillusion amid mud, terror and increasingly desperate attacks, yet it is also a story of immense courage, comradeship, high spirits and hope.

In Passchendaele, Lyn Macdonald lets more than 600 soldiers speak for themselves. In doing so, she portrays events from the only point of view that really matters.

©2013 Lyn Macdonald (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Good read but dated in parts.

I didn't realise this was written in 1980. When listening, there were dated comments about generals and chateaus. the personal accounts are fascinating especially as I walked the ground a few weeks ago.

A story that needed to be told

I read this book many years ago and it it effected me deeply. I knew one on the participants when I was a boy, whose story featured in the book. I knew him as a lovely gentle old man called Doctor Annan, who was retired. In the book he was Lieutenant Jim Annan of 9th Royal Scots who went through hell at Minty’s Farm. He was my mates Grandad.
I purchased the audiobook recently and experienced even more powerful emotions listening to the superb narrator take me again on that bloody journey to the top of the Passchendale ridge where the flower of a generation were sacrificed.

Another First-class listen

This is my second Lyn MacDonald audio book after Roses of No mans land.
This second book was offen a very harrowing story,not shy of telling of the full horrors of The battle for Passchendael. What the soldiers endured was horrific. It is not surprising that it was call the Hell of Passchendael.
Despite all the grim horrors, I enjoyed the book, and would definitely recommend it. Once again beautifully narrated by Alison Dowling.

Mind blowing

Such an incredible account of the sacrifices made by these poor boys and girls during the war to end all wars.

Passchendaele slaughter

An excellent account of the madness of war. Well read and very moving. Food fop thought at this time of One more European war.

Harrowing tale of a bloody battle

A well read account of the battle of Ypres. First hand accounts of the battle entwined around a description of what happened on a more general level.
This truly was the Greatest generation. Rest in peace all you brave souls.

Gripping accounts of epic battles at Passchendaele

This was war in graphic detail as told through the eyes of those who witnessed the raw brutality. Shocking waste of life. Narrator was excellent.

Brilliant Book

In 1989 I had the honour of dining with Lyn MacDonald and General Sir John Akehurst at a restaurant at Zonnebeke on Passchendaele Ridge. She had brought with her some survivors of The Great War that had fought there in 1917. An unforgettable evening indeed. This book brought back all the horrifying stories that were told to me then. Highly recommended. The narration is excellent.