My Experiences of the War Between France and Germany

Archibald Forbes's account of the Franco-Prussian War begins with the shock of France's declaration in July 1870 and the tense, continent-wide stillness that followed. Writing as a special correspondent and eyewitness rather than a detached historian, he brings the opening campaign to life through urgent, immediate reportage that moves from Cologne and the Rhine frontier to the siege lines and battlefields beyond. He watches Germany's war machine spring into action: reservists abandoning work, family, and plans to answer duty; railways turned into military arteries; and civilians calmly sustaining the march to war with bread, meat, and wine. Along the way, Forbes explores the Prussian system's remarkable efficiency and democratic reach, arguing that stable men with homes and responsibilities can make the best soldiers. He admires the discipline, sobriety, endurance, and practical courage of the troops, then carries the reader toward the frontier and into the strategic landscape of Sedan, where river, hills, villages, and a crucial wooded knoll reveal the German advantage and the tightening noose around the French army. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.