Author and Verdun historian Holstein offers a guidebook to the grounds that were the battlefields of Verdun, where German and French forces clashed repeatedly during World War I. As the author notes, the book is less a history of what happened than a description of why the configuration of the ground shaped the battles and other actions as much as they did. Numerous photographs and maps are included. Distributed by Casemate. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)