Day of Battle MarsLaTour Author:David Ascoli France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 was the beginning of decades of crisis for the French Army and the French nation. Despite the incompetence of the French commanders, there was a brief moment when the French could have turned defeat to victory, near the small town of Mars-la-Tour on August 16, 1870. This classic work is one o... more »f the few books currently available in English.« less