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Remembered Today:

German Books on WW!


Scotsmac

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Now ordered. Thanks for the suggestions!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Erich luddendorf's memoirs Luddendorf's own story can be found on his wiki bio

Max Hoffman's the War of Lost oppertunties is on the site allworldwars

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  • 2 months later...

If you are interested in that early period of the war before trench warfare then 'THE GERMAN CAVALRY IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM IN 1914' is fascinating. It is one of the earliest accounts from the German side along with 'THE ADVANCE FROM MONS' by Walter Bloem' before the 'rot set in' so to speak.

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'THE GERMAN CAVALRY IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM IN 1914' is fascinating.

The more early war cavalry stuff I do I find this account more sanitized. He really puts a pro cavalry's face on things – look at what he says about Halen. Still a very useful source!

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I still have "The Handbook of Imperial Germany" always to hand and frequently refer to it when looking for answers.

I believe it gives me a great basic knowledge and has helped me in my studies particularly placing family in various roles.

I think it is time I stepped up to " The Great War Dawning"

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Of course I am biased but I think it is well worth stepping up. Naval and military press has 20% off sale going on right now and I know that the book is offered there. I do not get royalties. I think the foreword by Jack Sheldon really talks about this thread. Bilingualism is a topic we can all improve on.

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Does anyone know if there is a published translation of Otto Lais, entire memoirs of his time with IR169.

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Here is a short passage.

http://www.pals.org.uk/lais_e.htm

Thank you Martin for that I have seen it before, but perhaps other members may find it of interest. Very difficult to read especially as my Grandfather was badly wounded at Serre. But I would like to get the full version of it. I have an interest in finding out as much as I can about the fellows on the other side of no - Mans land.IR169. I have read both Volumes of Ralph Whitehead`s"The Other Side of the Wire", "Imperial Germany`s Iron Regiment IR169" by John Rieth, "Z Day The Attack of the VIII Corps at Beaumont Hamel and Serre" by Alan Macdonald, all very good books on the subject and I would fully reccomend them to anyone with an interest in that area of the Western Front or even the 1st Day of the Battle of the Somme. Another book I found of interest, but away from the Somme Battlefields is "Fighting the Kaisers War" The Saxons in Flanders" by Andrew Lucas & Jurgen Schmieschek.

Another Book I can reccomend to anyone is a German Book titled "Die 26. Reserve - Division im Weltkrieg 1914 - 1918"/zusammengest. u. hrsg.v.ehem.Stabe d. 26. Res.Div. - Stuttgart:[von stahle & friedel],1920. (I have copied that from the book I hope I have not sworn at you all). The book has only 12 pages of German text the rest of the book is taken up with some superb Photographs of the battlefields the Division fought inluding the Somme/Ancre areas. I counted 452 Photographs mainly Battlefields.

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'Against The Tommies - History of the 26th Reserve Division 1914-1918' is due out at the end of this month, and looks like an English translation of your recommendation.

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'Against The Tommies - History of the 26th Reserve Division 1914-1918' is due out at the end of this month, and looks like an English translation of your recommendation

How Strange that is. You really do not need a translation as it is mainly Photographs. The copy will probably cheaper than obtaining an origional 1920 edition. I have seen them sell for silly prices.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Of course I am biased but I think it is well worth stepping up. Naval and military press has 20% off sale going on right now and I know that the book is offered there. I do not get royalties. I think the foreword by Jack Sheldon really talks about this thread. Bilingualism is a topic we can all improve on.

I have stepped up and picked up the book at the discount price.

It is just what I am looking for. Clearly this information is difficult to find even for German language users but to get it organised and presented in English language is first class. I am only just skipping to places where I expect to find my

jig-saw pieces and they are there. I will certainly do the full read.

It certainly helps me with my many puzzles

My Grandfather, his Brothers and several cousins were born into poor farming communities in Poland. Grandfather did not speak anything of the wars, so for me Finding history has been

like trying to do a jig-saw puzzle without all of the pieces and not even the box.

Even if he was prepared to talk 'War stories' it would have been impossible given that he spoke, Polish, German and French.

I used English and it was just English for 7 year olds.

But I keep finding some of these Jig-saw pieces along the way, and perhaps this makes the learning much more rewarding because each piece is a little treasure.

of course they may be entirely the wrong pieces and not even belong to my puzzle.

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=201713&page=25#entry2393873

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'Against The Tommies - History of the 26th Reserve Division 1914-1918' is due out at the end of this month, and looks like an English translation of your recommendation.

Hi Paul,

I now have a copy of the book that you told me about ie "Fighting the Tommies" It is almost a copy of the origional 1920 German book "Die 26th Reserve Division in Weltkrieg 1914 - 1918".but with English annotations. The only difference I can find (bearing in mind I do not read German) is that Mr Bilton has missed the last 47 photographs from the origional book.

Well worth buying just for the photographs. most of which were taken by the soldiers themselves whilst on active duty. I fully reccomend this book and well worth the £13.81 post free.

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I shall put it on my wish list. Shame about the last 47 photographs, though. ^_^

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  • 1 year later...

To reply to above thread, and in particular, Grandpacarr's query on additional translations of Otto Lais' books, I would like to provide the following (posted earlier today on the 'soldiers' forum for those with a continued interest on German Books on WW I.  

-----

Greetings fellow WFA members

John Rieth here.   For those WFA Members that I have been in touch with over the past few years, I am pleased to announce the release of the second edition of my book, Germany's Iron Regiment of the First World War: War Memories of Service with Infantry Regiment 169, 1914-1918.  The new edition is essentially a rewrite of the original that adds over 100 pages of text, maps and pictures to the 2014 publication.

For those not familiar with book, the Iron Regiment offers a rare, English language complete account of a Germany infantry regiment’s journey from the very first battles on the Western Front in August 1914, through its destruction by US Marines and Army tanks in the Argonne Forest in November 1918.  The book was inspired by a wartime journal written by my grandfather, Albert Rieth, an IR 169 veteran, who was wounded in the Battle of the Frontiers in August 1914 and at La Bassee, Flanders, in January 1915. 

 

One of the central voices in the first edition from Otto Lais, an IR 169 veteran who in 1936 published a pamphlet of his experiences in the Somme.  For the new edition, I was able to acquire and translate key excerpts from two additional books that Lais wrote about his 1917-1918 service in IR 169.   Lais was an interesting fellow.  Only 21 years old by the War’s end, he fought as a machine gunner in the Somme and eventually earned a battlefield commission in 1917.  He went on to command IR 169 machine gun and rifle companies in the 1917 Aisne Campaign, the Spring 1918 Offensives, Bapaume and in the Meuse-Argonne.  In a stroke of luck, Lais survived IR 169’s annihilation on November 1, 1918 when he was transferred to a staff position two days earlier (1,500 IR 169 troops entered the Argonne in late September, only a few dozen were left in ranks by Nov 1.)   After the war, he became a teacher and well-noted bohemian artist in Karlsruhe.  Lais was recalled to active service in WW II where he commanded an infantry regiment on the Western Front.  His service in Normandy and the Netherlands earned him Germany’s Knights Cross for valor.  Lais was captured in Holland by Canadian forces just before the War's end.   I think most readers interested in WW I will be fascinated by Lais' graphic descriptions as a small unit commander through the very worst of the Great War’s combat.

 

 Much more information on the book, as well as a Google Map of the regiment’s service and a detailed description of all new content, can be found at www.ironregiment169.com.  If you are interested in purchasing this online, be sure to order the second edition (some online retailers still have the first edition posted), the book is available in soft cover and Kindle formats via my publisher, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.

 

 I greatly appreciate the many encouragement from WFA members who responded to my first edition.  I welcome further comments and questions for anyone that has an interest in this subject.

 Best Regards,

John

 

 

------

Edited by German IR 169
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  • 2 years later...

Slightly off topic, but are most of the pre WW2 German books on WW1 typeset in Roman style or the old German style of Fraktur.

I have a couple of Napoleons books in Fraktur and it makes it very hard to even try to read, with my limited German.

Eg heil and schnell, schnell, and hilfe.

 

Edited by DigNap15
typo
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38 minutes ago, DigNap15 said:

Slightly off topic, but are most of the pre WW2 German books on WW1 typeset in Roman style or the old German style of Fraktur.

I have a couple of Napoleons books in Fraktur and it makes it very hard to even try to read, with my limited German.

Eg heil and schnell, schell, and hilfe.

 

 

Most are printed in Fraktur.

 

Jan

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