German Books on WW!

[Scotsmac]

I'm interested in reading books on the history of WW1 by german authors in English translation, or, from the German point of view. I would prefer general histories rather than specific battles. Anybody any suggestions?

Thanks

Keith

[m roswell]

IMO. You have got to start with Ernst Junger's "Storm of Steel". By far one of the best battle accounts written from the German perspective. It covers his entire(highly-decorated) war service. A must read. And welcome to the forum.

[Martin Feledziak]

I am going to agree with that choice although you will find you have stirred up a nest of bees. The purists disagree with much of the translations, I followed his movements with maps and he certainly served in most of the battle areas of the Western front. I would definitely rate the book.

You could also take a look at John Rieths Iron Regiment IR169. This follows the same large scope of battle areas. Also a more specific ,The Saxons in Flanders "fighting The Kaisers War"

If you are interested you can preview pages from these books using the Amazon / Abe Link on the Forum main page.

[paulgranger]

Ralph Whitehead's two volumes of ' the other side of the wire', and Jack Sheldon's multi-volume offerings on the German Army, though not by German writers in translation, are certainly written from a German viewpoint

[David Filsell]

I don't think that 'most of the purists disagree with much of the translation' at all. What they do feel is that the original translation into English (which was well regarded) is far better than the more recent one, by an otherwise respected translator who admitted to me that he knew nothing about the German army. It shows and he made a mess of some of the original terminolgy. Equally readers should be aware that the author himself issued a number of editions - each altered - of the book in German.

[Scotsmac]

Thanks to you all for the suggestions. They look like just what I want and will be added to my Christmas book list with a big star against them!

Compliments of the Season

Keith

[bierast]

You could also take a look at John Rieths Iron Regiment IR169. This follows the same large scope of battle areas. Also a more specific ,The Saxons in Flanders "fighting The Kaisers War"

In all but geographical terms our book (the mention of which is greatly appreciated!) is much less specific than Rieth's. We tried to cover all the Saxon combat units that ever fought between the coast and La Bassee canal, which turned out to be an ever bigger task than we had anticipated...

[joerookery]

I would rate this as shameless self promotion. I believe naval and military press stocks this title which will explain the German side from the beginning. Expensive but a wonderful Christmas present. We do not get royalties.

http://www.militaria.at/Book.aspx?book=2277660&Language=en

http://www.naval-military-press.com/great-war-dawning-germany-and-its-army-at-the-start-of-world-war-i.html

[sheldrake]

I'm interested in reading books on the history of WW1 by german authors in English translation, or, from the German point of view. I would prefer general histories rather than specific battles. Anybody any suggestions?

Thanks

Keith

The first half of Heinz Guderian's "Achtung Panzer!" is an analysis of the First World War anf the role of tanks. Guderian was a talented staff officer and the last (?) chief of the great general staff

It is worth reading some of individual accounts. I can recommend

Herbart Sulzbach - with the German Guns

Walther Bloem - the Advance from Mons.

Von Kluck's The March omn Paris. http://ebookoocup.org/The-March-on-Paris-The-Memoirs-of-Alexander-von-Kluck-1914-1918_4325415.html

There is a 12917 publication on Ypres 1914 on the internet. https://archive.org/details/ypres1914officia00schw

You can buy the German staff histories only parts of 1914 and 1915 have have been translated and edited. Not cheap but very good. http://www.amazon.com/Germanys-Western-Front-Translations-Official/dp/155458373X/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=16VWJJ3G5TDHAVWJ1QVD

[paulgranger]

Rudolf Binding 'a Fatalist at War'

[fritz]

Remarque, All quiet on the western front.

[SiegeGunner]

Ralph Whitehead's two volumes of ' the other side of the wire', and Jack Sheldon's multi-volume offerings on the German Army, though not by German writers in translation, are certainly written from a German viewpoint

Ralph and Jack's books are largely based on their authors' translations of extensive original German material.

[Ken S.]

Internet Archive (archive.org) has a number translated books published in the inter-war period.

[andrew pugh]

Hi

There is a book called In The Line 1914-1918 by Georg Bucher.Translated from the German Westfront 1914-1918, published by Naval and Military Press. I am reading it at the moment and find it a very good read.

Merry Christmas

Regards Andy.

[healdav]

IMO. You have got to start with Ernst Junger's "Storm of Steel". By far one of the best battle accounts written from the German perspective. It covers his entire(highly-decorated) war service. A must read. And welcome to the forum.

Also, "Copse 124" - Rossignol Wood.

His description of the German trenches is amazing as you can see exactly what he is talking about when in any German trench.

Mind you, his description is totally different to the description in British manuals of German trench design!

[SiegeGunner]

My copy is 'Copse 125', David ... it must be inflation! An excellent book, as you say, and translated by Basil Creighton, who also made the original English translation of 'Storm of Steel'.

[James A Pratt III]

A German Airman Remembers

[MaureenE]

If you are interested in the war on other Fronts

• Five Years in Turkey by Otto Liman von Sanders, translated from the 1920 German edition Funf Jahre Turkei by Col Carl Reichman, US Army (Retired) published 1927 by the United States Naval Institute, is available available to read online on the Digital Library of India website. in TIFF format, or as a pdf download Note: at the time of writing the Digital Library of India website is not available.
• The Dardanelles Campaign by General Liman von Sanders translation and comments by E.H. Schulz, Colonel, Corps of Engineers, US Army (The Engineer School, Fort Humphreys, Virginia) 1931 nla.gov.au. An extract and translation from the above book Funf Jahre Turkei.
• My Reminiscences Of East Africa by General von Lettow-Vorbeck, [the German commander], published London, c 1920 Archive.org

Cheers

Maureen

[David Filsell]

I* have just done a quick count of my own collection and notes.There are at least 125 translations of German novels, personal accounts - including a couple of home front accounts - translated into English - not counting those, frequently self serving, works by senior officers.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Carl Broger 'Pillbox 17'. A very powerful account.

[David Filsell]

I rate the Broger book very highly - sadly copies of the original edition rare. You may find this of interest from my notes.

Carl Bröger rejoiced in the sobriquets of “Germany’s labour poet” or “the workman poet”. Born Johann Carl Christian Bröger in Nürnberg on March 10th 1896, his war novel Bunker 17: Geschicte einer Kameradschaft was published in Jena in 1929.

The translation, by Oakley Williams, was published as Pillbox 17: The Story of a Comradeship-in-Arms in 1930 by Thornton Butterworth, part of an undistinguished list of largely forgotten novels. The book’s bold and evocative jacket, designed by Bip Pares, noted that, in its depiction of the claustrophobic death which overwhelmed a section confined in a machine gun bunker, the work was “in some way a parallel” to R C Sheriffs Journey’s End.

Bröger suffered an impoverished childhood, developing a passion for poetry and “rhyming” at school. Although he wrote that education “occasioned me no problems”, he was forced to leave secondary education in his fourth year. He was unsuccessfully apprenticed and claimed to have had 51 jobs in six months, including a spell as a builder’s labourer, before serving as a conscript in a Bavarian infantry Regiment. Two years after leaving the army in 1908 Bröger became a journalist and his “incorrigible” rhymes came to the attention of Dr Franz Muncker, Professor of Literary History at Munich.

On outbreak of war Carl Bröger was mobilised into the 7th Company of the 6th Bavarian Reserve Regiment. He was seriously wounded in fighting on the Loretto heights and published a number of anti-war poems in 1918. By 1930, when Pillbox 17 was published in Britain, he had authored sixteen books, including an autobiographical novel, Der Held in Schatten (The Hero in the Shade), published in Jena by Eugen Diederich.

By then Bröger was married and living in Nürnberg with four children, which he wrote modestly, were his “best collected works”. He added that he had spent much of his military service in the front line as a runner, “a postman”, and that his most important feat of arms was never to have fired his Mauser Model 98 rifle. After being wounded he spent the remainder of the war, both at home and at the front, realising the conflict “was the greatest disaster that has ever overcome the human race.”

In a touching, and ultimately hollow, homage to Remarque Bröger concluded his introduction to the English edition with the words:

“What the future may bring forth is, I am glad to say, not within my cognisance.

So far as one can see things will remain ‘all quiet’ not only on the Western, but

on all fronts”.

Despite his early revolutionary and pacifist views, Bröger later “went over to the National Socialists”. He died in Nürnberg in 1944

[Scotsmac]

This is fantastic! Thanks so much for all the suggestions!

Keith

[German IR 169]

Hi Keith, In response to your post, you may be interested in a book I published in Fall 2014, titled "Imperial Germany's 'Iron Regiment' of the First World War", which covers the history of Baden's Infantry Regiment 169. The topic has a personal interest, as my grandfather served in the unit through 1915, when he was wounded and then discharged. He moved to the US in the 1920's. You can learn more about the book in my website www.ironregiment169.com. The book covers the entire journey of the regiment from August 1914 - November 1918, where they fought in many of the most significant battles of the Western Front. I think it will give you a sense of the war from the common German soldier's perspective.

All the best wishes for the New Year.

John Rieth

[trenchtrotter]

John Rieths book is well worth reading. Recommended.

TT

[Grandpacarr]

I read this very good book in a week. I could not put it down. This was the unit facing my Grandfather which made it more personal for me.