Robert Dunlop Posted 2 January , 2014 Share Posted 2 January , 2014 I can only comment on Hastings' material on the Western Front. As noted above, the style of writing is very good. The substance, however, is much weaker. This reflects the heavy reliance on anecdotal and secondary sources. I wouldn't recommend his book unless you are particularly interested in the anecdotes. If you are then skim the supporting material, at least with respect to the Western Front. Only use this material as an indicator of something happening on a particular date or time. Do not place any reliance on Hastings' interpretations of why events happened. In general he has perpetuated well worn interpretations that do not reflect more recent work. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanCurragh Posted 4 January , 2014 Share Posted 4 January , 2014 A rather remarkable price of 99p on Kindle at the moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 4 January , 2014 Share Posted 4 January , 2014 A rather remarkable price of 99p on Kindle at the moment Thank you Alan for the heads-up, duly kindled David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hastings Posted 5 January , 2014 Share Posted 5 January , 2014 Ditto, thanks Alan (plus Max Plowman's Subaltern on the Somme for 77p!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbo Posted 5 January , 2014 Share Posted 5 January , 2014 Thanks Alan. Astonishing price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RupertDubrecht Posted 5 January , 2014 Share Posted 5 January , 2014 Oh, now, you're all being terribly unfair to Sirmax. He's already seen the price of his book halved and it's only just gone on the shelves. It'll be at The Works at a remaindered price next week, so he's losing money and how's he going to afford his champagne and oysters after that? He's got standards to keep up, you know.[/quotePeter Harts 'the Great War' hardback book is reduced from £23 to £6.99 at the Works they have some defaced copies at £2.99 ( just where he signed them ) lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLW Posted 10 April , 2014 Share Posted 10 April , 2014 I recently looked at "Catastrophe 1914", and was astonished to see that Max Hastings places Skoda 30.5 cm mortars at Liege, and he does so in an exact manner; perpetuating one of the undying myths associated with the 42cm Big Berthas. Makes me wonder about his source, which must be a secondary English-language work since no primary Austrian or German sources place Skodas at Liege. For the record, their first engagement was at Namur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony osborne Posted 10 April , 2014 Share Posted 10 April , 2014 Just finished reading Catastrophe and thought it was a very good read indeed. Very thought provoking and informative particularly with regard to the eastern front which i very little knowledge of. Well done Max - looking forward to the next one. Ant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hastings Posted 10 April , 2014 Share Posted 10 April , 2014 Just finished reading Catastrophe and thought it was a very good read indeed. Very thought provoking and informative particularly with regard to the eastern front which i very little knowledge of. Well done Max - looking forward to the next one. Ant Agreed Ant, just hope he does not jump straight to 1916 and leaves 1915 out (e.g. Malcolm Brown's IWM books on 1914, 1916 and 1918) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 10 April , 2014 Share Posted 10 April , 2014 Agreed Ant, just hope he does not jump straight to 1916 and leaves 1915 out (e.g. Malcolm Brown's IWM books on 1914, 1916 and 1918) Jim Is there some suggestion he's doing one per year? I hadn't realised that. I still haven't got round to reading Catastrophe yet although I have it on my Kindle for next to nothing thanks to some alert posting on the Forum by, from memory, Caryl David David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hastings Posted 10 April , 2014 Share Posted 10 April , 2014 Evening David, I'm afraid I am not sure at all, I just wish so. I know there is a book coming out on Bellewaarde June 1915 but 1915 is so often missed out - but then I always yearn for more on Aubers Ridge and Loos Would like to know MHs view on that year of the war though ... All the best Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 10 April , 2014 Share Posted 10 April , 2014 Evening David, I'm afraid I am not sure at all, I just wish so. I know there is a book coming out on Bellewaarde June 1915 but 1915 is so often missed out - but then I always yearn for more on Aubers Ridge and Loos Would like to know MHs view on that year of the war though ... All the best Jim I fully agree with you about 1915, Jim. I know we've talked before about Patrick MacGill's the Great Push amongst other early memoirs, but perhaps the centenary will lead somebody to write a really good military account of the whole year. I suppose if we want encouragement it's the number of books issued this year whose title includes '1914' David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony osborne Posted 11 April , 2014 Share Posted 11 April , 2014 No relation are you Jim?! Ant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hastings Posted 11 April , 2014 Share Posted 11 April , 2014 Lol not at all Ant, although at school the headmaster used to keep asking me if I was related to Gavin Hastings, but if he took one look at my atrocious rugby playing he'd have soon worked out I wasn't!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil andrade Posted 12 April , 2014 Share Posted 12 April , 2014 I fully agree with you about 1915, Jim. I know we've talked before about Patrick MacGill's the Great Push amongst other early memoirs, but perhaps the centenary will lead somebody to write a really good military account of the whole year. I suppose if we want encouragement it's the number of books issued this year whose title includes '1914' David Jack Sheldon's book on the German Army on the Western Front in 1915 is highly commended. Phil (PJA) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joerookery Posted 12 April , 2014 Share Posted 12 April , 2014 Jack Sheldon's book on the German Army on the Western Front in 1915 is highly commended. Actually anything written by Jack Sheldon works for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 12 April , 2014 Share Posted 12 April , 2014 Jack Sheldon's book on the German Army on the Western Front in 1915 is highly commended. Phil (PJA) Phil Thank you. I should have thought of that as my daughter has his one on 1914, which she raves about David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 14 April , 2014 Share Posted 14 April , 2014 I'm currently halfway through Jack Sheldon's The German Army on The Somme 1914-1916. I'm enjoying it very much and can highly recommend it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Sheldon Posted 14 April , 2014 Share Posted 14 April , 2014 Many thanks one and all. It has inspired me to drive on faster with my Spring Offensives of 1917 title ... Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyH Posted 9 May , 2014 Share Posted 9 May , 2014 Catastrophe by Max Hastings Just purchased the paper back edition in a local supermarket for £3.85 (jacket price £9.99) amazing value. Looking forward to a great read. Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 9 May , 2014 Share Posted 9 May , 2014 I'll come clean. I'm reading ti and thoroughly enjoying it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulgranger Posted 9 May , 2014 Author Share Posted 9 May , 2014 I'm impressed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 10 May , 2014 Share Posted 10 May , 2014 "Catastrophe" reminds me very much of Tuchman's "Guns of August:, a wonderful style, beautiful prose and a pleasure to read, giving a reasonable overview of events but with glaring errors in some of the specific facts. If he'd used less anecdotal "evidence" it probably wouldn't have read so well but he might have been able to concentrate on the detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 10 May , 2014 Share Posted 10 May , 2014 Let me explain my comment: it's an enjoyable read. The lack of references for facts is annoying - he references works he has quoted from, but they are not referenced in an easy-to-retrieve style, and the text is, of course, pure Hastings. As a read it is enjoyable - rattles along nicely. However, it makes massive generalisations and a lack of "evidence" to some of the assertions makes the general conclusion that Hastings gas a tendency to, shall we say, slap it on a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth505 Posted 11 May , 2014 Share Posted 11 May , 2014 it makes massive generalisations and a lack of "evidence" to some of the assertions makes the general conclusion that Hastings gas a tendency to, shall we say, slap it on a bit. Haven't read the book yet but isn't this a hallmark of the graduate student approach to writing that so many celebrity author fall into? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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