Lyn MacDonald's book captures the true and complete horror of warfare in this book. Rich in detail and telling accounts by the men that fought in the savage and bloody battles in 1915. A must read for someone trying to understand the daily misery and destruction of a generation of brave men. By far, my favorite book in the series, but not to discount the others, each of which is a classic and should be read in sequence to grasp the fullness of the story of The Great War.

The other reviewers have spoken to Lyn MacDonalds style and areas of expertise. My experience with this book is that compells me to read it again and again. I pick it up and start reading it in mid chapter, and it's always interesting despite the number of times I have read it. Every page has completely engrossing narrative, so it hooks me any time I pick it up. The account of miners tunnelling underneath enemy lines is particularly memorable.

I'm definitely going to pick up everything else she has written.

Some people may criticise this book for not including the French. But to do that, it would have to come in several volumes. World War One is just too vast to include everyone from both sides in one volume. What is covered very well is the experiences of those at the "sharp end". Generals and maps are very well for those who want to follow the overall view, but that does not cover the misery of the rifleman and company officers who did not have the luxury of comfortable billets and lack of danger enjoyed by the higher ranks. Drawing a line on a piece of paper is a far cry from having to man that line. Ordering an attack is easy for those who don't have to do the attacking and have no idea of the conditions of the soldier who has to advance through mud and barbed wire. I am reminded of a staff officer who, on seeing the actual front line after the battle of the Somme said "My God, did we send men to fight in that!"

Lyn MacDonald's book on 1915 mirrors her patented participant-oriented storytelling evidenced in "Somme" and "They Called it Passchendaele..." However, while the aforementioned titles mostly succeed because of the British-heavy focus of the battles, "1915: The Death of Innocence" cannot begin to tell the whole story of 1915. As a result, it does not even try.

Obviously, MacDonald, as a British woman and patriot, is only concerned with the British perspective of 1915. The trouble with that is that the French Army held 85% of the Western Front in 1915; the British number of 15% was reached only at the end of the year. And yet, for hundreds of pages, small engagements (especially in relation to the tremendous French campaigns further south on the front) are given mind-numbing detail while the main pillar of the Allied alliance, at least until the Spring of 1917, is all but ignored.

Some readers find the first-person perspective of MacDonald's books grating, but I like the fact that these veterans' voices are put in print, in their own words, before they died. This makes "1915" a good source for primary sources. However, if you're interested in the REST of 1915 on the Western Front, and by REST I mean events on the OTHER 400 mile front held by the French, you will be sorely disappointed.

Lyn MacDonald's writings on WWI are possibly the best available. She is not judgemental, rather she reports using first hand accounts from participants. The reports are always stirring and moving. Her detailed accounts together with a picture of the overall scene of the battles show the decades of research that were required to produce her books.