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Monash's Masterpiece
- Narrated by: Michael Carman
- Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
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A must read!
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Publisher's Summary
The Battle of Le Hamel on 4 July 1918 was an Allied triumph and strategically very important in the closing stages of WWI. A largely Australian force, commanded by the brilliant Sir John Monash, fought what has been described as the first modern battle - where infantry, tanks, artillery and planes operated together as a coordinated force.
Monash planned every detail meticulously, with nothing left to chance. Integrated use of tanks, planes, infantry, wireless (and even carrier pigeons!) was the basis, and it went on from there, down to the details: everyone used the same maps, with updated versions delivered by motorbike despatch riders to senior commanders, including Monash. Each infantry battalion was allocated to a tank group, and they advanced together. Supplies and ammunition were dropped as needed from planes. The losses were relatively few. In the words of Monash: 'A perfected modern battle plan is like nothing so much as a score for an orchestral composition, where the various arms and units are the instruments, and the tasks they perform are their respective musical phrases.'
Monash planned for the battle to last for 90 minutes - in the end it went for 93. What happened in those minutes changed for the rest of the war the way the British fought battles and the tactics and strategies used by the Allies.
Peter FitzSimons brings this Allied triumph to life and tells this magnificent story as it should be told.
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What listeners say about Monash's Masterpiece
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jaidee
- 01-07-2020
An important story
I read this book when it first come out and enjoyed it a little more in the reading rather than the listening.
Nothing at all against the narration which was well done.
Good story about a great man and a great, albeit little known, battle of WW1.
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- Anonymous User
- 03-08-2018
unbelievable amazing
I had little knowledge what Monash did World War 1, but after listening to this book I will never forget his name and what the soldier's had done.
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- Anonymous User
- 08-11-2022
Monash, that name and story will ever live.
That Peter FitzSimons wrote it, well, that speaks
for itself.
The narration was brilliant.
With the combined effort, I hung on every word!
Don. Budge.
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- Anonymous User
- 06-06-2019
Brilliant history lesson
A fantastic story and lesson into the deeds of Sir John Monash. Brilliantly written and fantastically narrated this is another Peter Fitzsimmons book that’s hard to put down.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Vivien
- 17-06-2018
A revealing tale
Monash- Peter Fitzsimons
I really enjoyed this book that followed on from the Fromelle story and then the Villers Bretonneux battle. I knew so little about Monash. I now intend to listen to Peter Fitzsimon's Gallipoli. I feel I have been shown a slice of important Australian history and now have individual accounts of such men as Jack Axford, Cliff Geddes and Two Guns Harry Dalziel as part of my knowledge of a bygone era that is indeed so easy to forget!!
Lest we forget!!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Kay L.
- 24-06-2023
The French Remembers
I was in France last month and went to Amiens, Villers-Bretonneux and Le Hamel.
It was sobering to visit the battlefields where the diggers fought and so many are buried.
I was surprised how the French people there continue to be grateful to the Aussies who saved them and was especially moved to see the number of Australian flags being flown there.
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- Jason G Cody
- 16-10-2021
great
a really good listen keeps you engages and wanting to hear more. a great tribute to many great men
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-09-2018
Outstanding
An outstanding work of an outstanding time with precious details that should all be known. Intensely interesting, shocking, tragic , sad and all emotions in one.
Well done to our ancestors, I don’t imagine back so long ago they would expect the grown men of today to weep at their stories and with such National pride - but there ya go. I wasn’t aware that Monash was subject to such prejudice after the Great War - even more credit to a great Australian. Thank you Peter for such an absorbing work and to Michael for such a vivid performance.
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- Andrew Phillips
- 20-09-2018
Breathtaking in every detail
Unbelievable story of a true genius who achieved a great moment in history, working against the aristocratic negativity Sir John Monash is to the end a true hero. Wonderfully written by Peter Fitzsimons and the narrator Michael Carman is outstanding. Extraordinary Story!
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- Jesse
- 23-08-2020
Wow!
Fantastic read! I could not stop listening to this and now the author is on my list to go through and read all of his works. an absolute must read for any Australian
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