Guest Steve Seaman Posted 20 June , 2003 Share Posted 20 June , 2003 Just finishing Forgotten Victory by Gary Sheffield, starting The Killing Ground by Tim Travers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garde Grenadier Posted 22 June , 2003 Share Posted 22 June , 2003 I'm reading at the moment Martin Middlebrook: The First Day on the Somme. Excellent! I've also watched the film "The Trench" once again, showing the atmosphere of that very confined space right into the desastrous July 1st 1916. Regards Daniel In Memory of Theodor Hoernemann, Königin-Elisabeth-Garde-Grenadier, d.o.w. at Chivres-en-Laonnois, July 24th 1917. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mordac Posted 22 June , 2003 Share Posted 22 June , 2003 Thirteen Years After is a terrific after the battle account as you would expect from the author of the superb Ghosts Have Warm Hands. Hi Paul: Have to agree with you; it's a great read. However, I found the book somewhat melancholy. It's as if Bird returned to the Western Front looking for his Holy Grail and couldn't find it. Garth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hussar Posted 22 June , 2003 Share Posted 22 June , 2003 I've just finished John Keegans superlative 'The First World War' and have just re-started 'The Great War and Modern Memory' by Paul Fussel, whilst awaiting delivery of 'Passchendaele' by Philip Warner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 22 June , 2003 Share Posted 22 June , 2003 Currently indulging myself in Great War Generals on the Western Front by Robin Nielands. I also bought a copy of his Attrition, which I will probably end up reading next (although Martin Middlebrook's First Day of the Somme has been the next book I was going to read for about a year)! I am also about half way through John Terraine's An Educated Soldier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 23 June , 2003 Share Posted 23 June , 2003 Currently reading: Ian Ousby's "The Road to Verdun" - a superlative study of Verdun, looking at it in teh broader context of French history, culture, memory etc. explores some of the points made by Alastair Horne in "The Price of Glory" in greater depth. Myles Dungan's "They Shall Not Grow Old - Irish Soldiers in the Great War" - a thematic study which looks at topics such as enlistment, chaplains, Irsihmen in the Anzac forces etc. More a collection of essays. very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle bill Posted 23 June , 2003 Share Posted 23 June , 2003 history of the 17th Northern Division and Will Bird's return to the old battlefields 13 years after the Armistice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hill 60 Posted 23 June , 2003 Share Posted 23 June , 2003 'Men of 18 in 1918' by Frederick James Hodges, a very good read. Also dipping into Paul Reed's 'Walking the Salient', in preparation for my visit this November. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theo Posted 23 June , 2003 Share Posted 23 June , 2003 Not a Great War book but it does deal with some of our 'favourite characters' at an earlier stage of their careers e.g Lt Ian Hamilton at Majuba Hill in 1881 - 'Scramble for Africa' by Thomas Pakenham. Looking forward to sections dealing with the foundation of the German african colonies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 23 June , 2003 Share Posted 23 June , 2003 The Fussell book may be the best book of criticism I have ever read. Am reading for the 3d time Only This, JH Pedley MC, another fine book by a Canadian, they wrote more really good ones than would be expected from their numbers in the forces. This is in print, reprint of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 23 June , 2003 Share Posted 23 June , 2003 Just started "Copse 125" by Ernst Junger. A childhood hero of mine, I've never read this one (though I did obtain a copy of "The Psychonaut" a few years ago - ). Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedley Malloch Posted 24 June , 2003 Share Posted 24 June , 2003 Hi Mordac, I have been dipping in and out of Will Bird. I am fascinated with that period of history which covers the battlefields in the 10 years or so after the War and he gives a good description of what it was like in the fields, farms and villages of the old Front in the years after. I must say that it comes across as a fairly dismal place. Good anecdotes and little incidents with the people he met. As you say he seems to be in search of something, but it is not clear what. Perhaps his brother Stephen? He writes well in an episodic style which means that you can pick it up, read it for 10 minutes and put it down. Hi Crooenaert, I bought Copse 125 this weekend. It seems to have been recently reprinted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 24 June , 2003 Share Posted 24 June , 2003 I'm about 2/3 through "Most secret war" by R.V. Jones. A truly excellent account of the development of scientific intelligence during "The second half". First, the countering of the German radio beams Knickebein, X-Geraete and so on, then the countering of the Kammhuber Line, development of GEE and OBOE as principal weapons in the British bombing offensive, and of course the breakthrough of centimetric radar. The science is explained simply and lucidly, but for me the most fascinating area is the interpersonal rivalries, coteries etc between the top scientists and the political masters that at times almost halted these war-winning developments. This is a recent softback reprint in the "Wordsworth Military Library" series and is readily available at £4-6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Mooney Posted 24 June , 2003 Share Posted 24 June , 2003 I am about half way through "The Old Front Line" as I just found a reprint by Pen and Sword locally. Also moving through "The Missing on the Somme" - very interesting to contrast the two impressions of the same area more than seventy years apart and from two authors perspectives. I've taken to switching between the two now as I cover one site on the Somme and contrasting it with the other. I, too, am fascinated by the whole idea of the battlefields immediately after the war, and the remnants left as the armies moved on. What is the title of Will Bird's book that deals with his return to the front? I don't remember it from "Ghosts have warm hands", but then it's been awhile since I read it. Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mordac Posted 24 June , 2003 Share Posted 24 June , 2003 Hi Patrick: It's called "Thirteen Years After" republished by CEF Books (ISBN: 1-896979-11-4). Check out CEF Books here. Garth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Mooney Posted 24 June , 2003 Share Posted 24 June , 2003 Garth, What a great source...I, in my ignorance, had no idea that CEF Books existed. I can see a rather large order forthcoming in the next days. I was rather upset to find on one of my last visits to Vimy that they were out of copies of King and Empire series and had no idea when they would receive more. Being a "spot purchaser" my search ended shortly after returning home, and I have never found them again in my travels, though I will be back to Vimy at the end of July and early August (the latest jaunt back) Thanks for the heads up...Norm will get a sizable contribution toward his kids college fund from me shortly. Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mordac Posted 24 June , 2003 Share Posted 24 June , 2003 Hi Patrick: If you live in Canada, you can find many of the CEF titles in your local Chapters book store. They'll also order books in for you. I have to admit, I don't like 'Big Box' stores, but will visit Chapters to get my CEF fix. Garth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Beckett Posted 25 June , 2003 Share Posted 25 June , 2003 Stoker's Submarine - the story of the AE2 commanded by Lt Commander Dacre Stoker. Very interesting. an Aussie sub commanded by a "pom" that succeeded in getting through the Dardanelles and hopefully one day soon to be lifted and restored as a fitting tribute to those who crewed her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 25 June , 2003 Share Posted 25 June , 2003 I think you will find Copse 125 not in the league with Storm of Steel but few things are. Am reading Somme Harvest, Giles Eyre, excellent, finally available in cheap reprint. He mentions Mariner VC, spells it Marriner, I know I have read about him in another book but do not remember what it was. A really good book I have not seen mentioned is I M Read's Of Those We Loved, also has his terrific sketches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lynsey1 Posted 27 June , 2003 Share Posted 27 June , 2003 I am reading through two books at the moment, "1915 death of innocence" by lyn mcdonald and "field marshall earl haig " by philip warner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mordac Posted 27 June , 2003 Share Posted 27 June , 2003 I've just started an interesting little book "Explaining The Britishers" by Frederick William Wile, published in 1918, 128 pages. With a title like this, you'd think the book would be about the English effort in the Great War. Not so. It's more of a 'move over, the Yanks are here' book. Here's the dedication in the front of book: "To My Fellow-Yanks Who Are Streaming Into Europe For The Worthy Purpose Of Kanning The Kaiser This Booklet Is Affectionately Dedicated" Garth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 27 June , 2003 Share Posted 27 June , 2003 I think you will find Copse 125 not in the league with Storm of Steel but few things are. Ernst Juengers Waeldchen 125 and Stahlgewitter are subsets of recently (1978) published classic "Complete Edition" , War Diaries I. It comprises of classicers: Storm of Steel, Copse 125, Break-Out of War 1914, Fire And Blood (1918 Bullecourt ) . If you read these excellent diaries, you are addicted to WWI research: if you read it with a 1:50.000 map aside, you're even in another world. It's if you are really participating, 85 years ago. Incredible author!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 27 June , 2003 Share Posted 27 June , 2003 I have to agree with Paul, I am half way through 'The Storm of Steel' and it is one of the best books I have ever read on WW1 - definately on the 'must read' list. The trouble is this is a very long list!! Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 28 June , 2003 Share Posted 28 June , 2003 "Storm of Steel" has to be my favourite account of WW1 from a guy who was there.I never tire of re-reading it as I find it a "breath of fresh air" as Herr Junger doesn't seem to fall in with the (then, at the time of original publication) anti-war sentiment that seemed so popular. He's positively proud of his service, with just cause. It always raises a smile to my face when I think of him causing storms throughout modern Germany with his thoughts and articles that he published in later life (untill quite recently!).I've always got to admire a guy who expresses his own beliefs, no matter what the "politically correct" thinkers (of whatever time) think. Having just started Copse 125, I must say that I find it almost on a par to "storm", but ,then again, I am (and have been for many years) a huge Junger fan! Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hussar Posted 29 June , 2003 Share Posted 29 June , 2003 Not exactly " reading at the moment" but.. I've just seen " Mud, Blood and Poppycock" The inner leaf blurb looks interesting and I was wondering if anyone had read it and what they thought of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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