Pillars of Fire: The Battle of Messines Ridge, June 1917 by Ian Passingham (Sutton £8.99)

THE success of the British at Messines in the third year of the First World War greatly contributed to the ultimate defeat of the German Army.

When news of the Allied advance reached London, church bells up and down the land rang peals in celebration. Sadly, the advantage would not be pressed, and so the seeds of disaster would once again be sown in the mud of the Western Front.

But the bloody debacle on the Ypres Salient that found ultimate expression in one word - Passchendaele - had yet to come. In the meantime, the British forces had every reason to celebrate.

For, in a single stroke, the skills and endurance of the sappers achieved what three years of struggle could not - dislodging the enemy from a section of the high ground around Ypres.

It is said that the sound of 19 mines going up could be heard as far away as Dublin. Prime Minister Lloyd George recalled that even the windows at No 10 Downing Street rattled, such was the force of the explosions.

This is a masterly work, meticulously assembled by the author, as he follows the fortunes of general and private soldier alike. As ever, the Worcestershire Regiment can be found in the thick of it, along with other regiments that have long passed into history.

For some inexplicable reason, Messines is one of the lesser-known battles of the First World War, despite its pivotal role in ensuring the Allies' eventual triumph of arms.

Thankfully, this worthy book more than does justice to an epic tale of bravery and unwavering determination to prevail against the odds.

John Phillpott