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Originally Posted by X
I'd advise taking a gander at May and Mosier. The advantage Spears had, of course, was that he was there!
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I've got "To Lose a Battle - Alistair Horne" and "Assignment to Catastrophe - Spears" -- both on order from the local library. As you have said "To Lose a Battle" seems to be regarded as the most comprehensive account of the battle in English -- and I gather he is fairly critical of the BEF.
I'm not sure if I would give Spears opinion more weight than others. If he was mainly at the French HQ then he may have suffered from lack of information and misinformation in the same way that the French High Command seems to have done. Sometimes being too close to the action prevents you seeing the bigger picture with the correct perspective.
He may also have been influenced by personal relationships which he had built up with some of the French senior officers which would influence the way in which he reported events. He had been there too long to be considered dispassionate.
Anyway -- I will try and remain open minded.
