mandy hall Posted 26 January , 2014 Share Posted 26 January , 2014 Wall to wall coverage 3 hours of WW1 programmes, Monday to Friday night on Discovery History this week coming. Mandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 26 January , 2014 Share Posted 26 January , 2014 OMG! appalling talk about over the top I see that there is as far as I can tell one hour of WW1 programming on all of the BBC channels next week disgusting, waste of licence-payers money, what’s the world coming to, might as well not have a telly, moan, moan etc etc. Norman The Great War Forum 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Jacket Collector Posted 27 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 27 January , 2014 Today's Torygraph is offering a Teddy Bear dressed as a WW1 Tommy, your's for only £35.99 + p. & p. Tommy as a cuddly toy! This is only the beginning...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 Today's Torygraph is offering a Teddy Bear dressed as a WW1 Tommy, your's for only £35.99 + p. & p. Tommy as a cuddly toy! This is only the beginning...... Yes, but in this case the money is going to the Military Heroes Trust Click as part of a series of military bears, so, if people who collect bears want to add one to their collection and contribute to forces' charities, why not? Having said that, there will doubtless be plenty of questionable GW centenary memorabilia (and probably imitations of the MT's WW1 bear as well) available from non-charitable outlets for those that have money to burn. NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Jacket Collector Posted 27 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 27 January , 2014 Sorry Nigel, I missed the charitable connection. As you say there will be a lot more with less altruistic motives. I envisage a whole range of heirloom plates from the Franklin Mint! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 Well, yesterday,my husband, who usually tries to shut me up almost before anything related to WW1 comes out of my mouth, actually asked me questions about our great uncle who was killed.The reason? He had received an email from his brother who had sent a link to the Snow's "Myths" piece on the BBC. His brother though that "Hazel should be aware of these myths"!!! And this is in Canada! H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBully Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 Well said sir! And a big welcome to new members .Regards, Michael Bully I note that over each of the last two days there have been more than 30 new members sign up to this forum. That's approximately a new battalion of researchers every month. If remembrance is the aim, this must be a good thing, and I'm sure that the television coverage must have played a major part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest exuser1 Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 On the lets see what we can sell to the public in the next four years front ,the locals here have shot the bolt some what as a series of 100+ 54mm figures of the French forces in the war done a year or so ago ,a series of bi planes already done , a series of dvds with a period newspaper already done , and at least 2 regular magazines devoted to the war have been going for a while , what is funny is a company is selling for 5 euros a map of France / Belgium showing the front lines and museums and such like , beware its a copy of the free one that the tourist office issues! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Banning Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 (edited) I watch very little television, and I definitely don't plan to spend many additional hours in front of the box during the next five years. If I miss any real gems, I'll find out about them on here, and hopefully pick them up on Iplayer. It really is crazy; if many of the dedicated are already half way turned off, think what it will do to the rest. Keith I agree wholeheartedly with your post Keith. I rarely watch television as so much of what is made is watered down rubbish. Budgets are a fraction of what they were and it comes across on the screen. However, I am hopeful there will be some good stuff amongst the humdrum. I spoke to a BBC contact today who told me that he has heard there will be four distinct tranches of BBC output in 2014. These dates have been set by the BBC top brass and IWM. Last week in Feb is a series of local radio featuring the First World War at home. A BBC Radio series in April Late July/early August including Jeremy Vine’s radio output on the diplomatic process that led to war Lead up to armistice period No idea for 2015-19 but we shall see. I have grave concerns that this will lead to audience apathy over the centenary period but have to hope and trust the BBC will spread their content suitably. There is a footy World Cup plus Commonwealth Games this summer to factor in to their viewing schedule and their scheduling calendar is split into quarters, hence the need to start showing 2014's output now. Edit: I should add that these plans are not set in stone and could well change. Edited 27 January , 2014 by J Banning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveBrigg Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 Well, I had to rely on the BBC tonight. Earlier this evening I drove to Scunthorpe to listen to a well-respected forum member give a talk about the 1/5 Lincs at the local museum. When I arrived they had already closed the doors because the venue had reached capacity and a list was made where disappointed guests could sign up for a repeat show later in the year, I'm not sure that Scunthorpe museum has ever sold out before, especially on a cold and damp January evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 28 January , 2014 Share Posted 28 January , 2014 If some of us have already anticipated weariness with a possible "overload" of TV programmes, I suspect that there will be those who very quickly will become bored with the reviews, analysis, criticism and pedanticism expressed within this Forum to each programme as it is screened. Witness the two threads on the Paxman series. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartH Posted 28 January , 2014 Share Posted 28 January , 2014 That seminal work The First World War and British Military History Edited by Brian Bond has many references to the various anniversaries and there is even a chapter called " 'Bunking' and Bebunking: The Controversies of the 1960's" by Alex Danchev. Clearly the 50 anniversary had a large impact on how we understand the Great War today. If all those books and reassessments then where overkill:I would like some overkill for the 100th! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 2 February , 2014 Share Posted 2 February , 2014 From a review of Paxman's Britain's Great War in today's Sunday Telegraph 'Seven' section (2nd February) by Michael Deacon: ' On Monday he began a series for BBC One called Britain's Great War, which marks, a little early, the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. (there are going to be an awful lot of documentaries like this. An awful lot. Still, chin up, I'm sure it will be over by Christmas.) Not sure whether the second 'Awful Lot' was to emphasise the quantity, or warn about the quality of what's to come... NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithmroberts Posted 2 February , 2014 Share Posted 2 February , 2014 If some of us have already anticipated weariness with a possible "overload" of TV programmes, I suspect that there will be those who very quickly will become bored with the reviews, analysis, criticism and pedanticism expressed within this Forum to each programme as it is screened. Witness the two threads on the Paxman series. Moonraker Indeed. I really wish more members would look through VNC and even maybe use the search engine before adding to the duplication. We mods really love merging topics, should someone point it out, or we happen to notice, but actually we can find other ways to amuse ourselves. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJ of Dorset Posted 2 February , 2014 Share Posted 2 February , 2014 Well said sir! And a big welcome to new members .Regards, Michael Bully As one of the new members I must say my first impression of the Forum is one of delight and pleasure of how helpful it's members are. I came here after a recommendation from a friend after I and the family had spent many fruitless hours trying to get information on my wife's grandfather in The Great War. In our ignorance we we were getting nowhere. Within a couple of days we had all the information from members of this Forum. Impressive and I look foward to staying. EJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 2 February , 2014 Share Posted 2 February , 2014 Title of thread ironic? Unfortunate perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Bennitt Posted 2 February , 2014 Share Posted 2 February , 2014 We've already had Max Hastings' "Catastrophe", Sean McMeekin's "1914", Margaret Macmillan's "The War that Ended Peace" and Christoper Clark's "The Sleepwalkers" on the causes and beginnings of the war. Upcoming are Hew Strachan's "To Arms" and Gordon Martel's "July 1914: The Month that Changed the World", and quite possibly more on top. Any one reading them all can only end up considerably poorer and more confused, while with all the competition I can't see the publishers getting much out of this bandwaggon. cheers Martin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 2 February , 2014 Share Posted 2 February , 2014 A definite air of war weariness is already creeping into newspaper reviews of e.g. the Paxman series. ' At least It'll all be over by Christmas' is becoming such a cliche in this regard that it's only a question of time before it is used as the title of a column in Private Eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Jacket Collector Posted 2 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 2 February , 2014 I read recently (forget where) that publishers have been disappointed by sales of the most recent WW1 titles. My original thought was that this deluge of books, newspaper articles & TV programes was in danger of creating an atmosphere of indifference amongst the public. Too much of a good thing is usually bad for you. Sorry about the title, Grumpy. My irony detector was switched off that day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBully Posted 2 February , 2014 Share Posted 2 February , 2014 Pleased to have you joining us EJ. I joined four years ago and have been so impressed by the generousity of GWF pals when it comes to information sharing and thoughtful criticism. The moderators are also very dedicated. Regards. As one of the new members I must say my first impression of the Forum is one of delight and pleasure of how helpful it's members are. I came here after a recommendation from a friend after I and the family had spent many fruitless hours trying to get information on my wife's grandfather in The Great War. In our ignorance we we were getting nowhere. Within a couple of days we had all the information from members of this Forum. Impressive and I look foward to staying.EJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted 2 February , 2014 Share Posted 2 February , 2014 Today's Torygraph is offering a Teddy Bear dressed as a WW1 Tommy, your's for only £35.99 + p. & p. Tommy as a cuddly toy! This is only the beginning...... What, like the ones that have been sold in Ypres for years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Jacket Collector Posted 2 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 2 February , 2014 What, like the ones that have been sold in Ypres for years? Mea Culpa, I picked the wrong target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 3 February , 2014 Share Posted 3 February , 2014 Interesting letter in The Times today... British reasons for entering the First World War included the fear that Germany would acquire a Napoleonic dominance over Europe Sir, I read with interest Professor Ferguson’s thesis (Jan 31) that Britain’s entry into the First World War was “the greatest mistake in our history”, but with respect, this is not a matter about which either he or any other historian is qualified to judge. Historians can and should explain to us what happened and why. To judge what should have happened is beyond our field of professional competence. The British government, and people, entered the war for a variety of reasons, but chief among them was the fear that if Germany won the war and acquired a Napoleonic dominance over Europe she would set about building a fleet that would enable her to challenge Britain as a world power and destroy her empire in what the kaiser described as a “Second Punic War”. They may have been wrong in this assumption, but there was plenty of evidence to indicate that this was the intention of powerful elements in the German ruling classes, with the kaiser at their head. Whether, in the event of continental victory, Germany could or would have gone on to launch such a war is a hypothesis unprovable by historians or anyone else. But it was a very reasonable assumption for the British to make in 1914, and who are we, historians or anyone else, to say that they were wrong? Sir Michael Howard Eastbury, W Berks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithmroberts Posted 3 February , 2014 Share Posted 3 February , 2014 Spot on. The "What if" school of historical debate, if that is not too elevated a term is a total waste of intellectual space. The problem is surely that the press just love to find an argument to headline, however pointless. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 3 February , 2014 Share Posted 3 February , 2014 So far I'm feeling pretty good. I've not seen Paxo's programme (Mrs B recorded episode 1, but I have resisted any temptation to watch it), and I am maintaining my blood pressure by reading the various sallies by historians with a level of disinterest I usually reserve for discussions about American Football or space exploration. I stick to the line that in five years' time there will be somewhere between little and no long-term effect of all this overkill (and I think that's an incredibly apposite word, actually). The Football World Cup kicks off in the summer - does anyone really expect the GW to take precedence over that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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