Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Information: Sights are adequately described in English. If you want more, the TI
andallsightssellhelpfulbooksinEnglishdescribing theBattle ofVerdun.Thesimple but
adequate booklet Verdun du Ciel provides helpful details (in three languages) and black-
and-white photos for about €5. More readable is The Battle of Verdun by Yves Buffetaut.
The best is Alistair Horne's The Price of Glory, which sorts through the complex issues
surrounding Verdun and offers perspectives from both sides of the conflict—if you can,
read it ahead of your visit (available at Verdun Tourisme, the “unofficial” tourist office).
Background: After the annexation of Alsace and Lorraine following the German
victory in the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, Verdun found itself just 25 miles from the
German border. This was too close for comfort for the French, who invested mightily in
the fortification of Verdun, hoping to discourage German thoughts of invasion. The plan
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