Jagging across northwestern Europe like an ugly scar, the Hindenburg Line was Germany's most formidable line of defense in World War I. Its fearsome reputation was matched only by its cunning design, with deep zigzagging trenches, concrete fieldworks, barbed wire, and devilish booby traps forming an intimidating barrier for any attacking army. Through meticulous research, this volume explores each of the major portions of the Hindenburg Line, paying particular attention to three examples of Allied operations against it towards the end of the war: the critical flanking of the Drocourt-Qeant Switch; the daring but costly rupture of the line of the St. Quentin Canal; and the bloody battles of the Meuse-Argonne.

Specially commissioned artwork and historical photographs perfectly complement the analysis provided by the authors as they trace the life of the Hindenburg Line from its seemingly invulnerable early years through to the audacious tactics used by the Allies to achieve a bitter victory in 1918.

Marc Romanych is a retired US Army combat arms officer. He is a member of Association du P.O. de Sentzich, a Maginot Line preservation group.

Patrick R. Osborn is a veteran archivist. A member of the Society for Military History, he is working on a comprehensive history of American armored warfare in the First World War.

Adam Hook began work as an illustrator in 1983. He specializes in detailed historical reconstructions, and has illustrated Osprey titles on diverse subjects.