Best Novel of the Great War?

[Wienand Drenth]

Though of much more recent times, so perhaps it can not be qualified a to come out of the war, I think the regeneration trilogy by Pat Barker is very excellent.

Also Paths of Glory by Cobb is very good; especially the depiction of the military tribunal, and how the soldiers are convicted, is very moving.

Another, also of recent times, novel is, I know the name in French only, "La chambre des officiers". It is about officers (and soldiers) with facial injuries and about their recovery, physically but above all mentally.

Regards and season greetings,

Wienand

[Chriscript]

Hi

Just come across this thread - late as usual - but it set me to thinking about the books that started my interest in the war.

Goes back a long way (far too many years) but one Christmas my grandparents gave me a set of Biggles Books - the original novels by Capt W E Johns - starting with "Biggles of the Camel Squadron" and "Biggles of 266" which were all wartime stories full of adventure (and very often based on true stories recycled for the younger reader) and which were so informative. Indeed, the books contained a glossary of terms and so as a very young boy I learned about "torque" and "side slip landings".

Johns own story is quite interesting and some years ago I read a biography in which it turned out he only had limited front line service but served as an instructor at Narborough/Thetford in Norfolk during much of the war. Worth a read if it can be found.

I also read "Alf's Button" - that incredible story of the genie held inside a service tunic button. Why Alf shound be polishing the thing in the trenches has always surprised me.

Later years brought many great books but the one which sits in pride of place and always goes with me on holiday to be read at least once a year is "Covenant with Death" by John Harris.

A truly great novel that conveys so much about the time and life of those ordinary men who responded to the call to arms in August 1914.

Finally, Prof Richard Holmes' "Tommy" is a must for any student of the war. Not only brilliantly studied and informative but very readable. His earlier work "Redcoat" is another superb example of his style, about another era of British Arms.

Chris

[Auimfo]

Can't break it down past four. In no particular order:

To The Last Ridge - Downing

The Middle Parts Of Fortune/Her Privates We - Manning

All Quiet - Remarque

Jacka's Mob - Rule

Tim L.

[euking]

A colleague at school has lent me the latest edition of Storm of Steel, it is a new translation and well worth getting. Written soon after the end of the war the memories are as vivid as you can get.

euking

[kirkyboy]

I think one of the best books is 'Remembrance' by Theresa Breslin.

It's based around the Somme area in 1916.

I recomend this to any reader.

Kirkyboy.

[ray hoggart]

I've just finished 'War Letters to a Wife' by Rowland Fielding which I enjoyed, anyone any comments?

Regards

Ray

23757155

[DCLI]

Covenant with Death by John Harris

[paullaw1155]

I think one of the best books is 'Remembrance' by Theresa Breslin.

It's based around the Somme area in 1916.

I recomend this to any reader.

Kirkyboy.

I agree with your choice Kirkboy.

I finished this book over two evenings. It also gives a good account of what was happening on the home front. As the authores. remarks she decided to write this book after visiting the battlefields of the western front.

Highly reccommend it .

Paul

[Guest Len Shurtleff]

How about "The General" by C. S. Forrester about the rise and fall of a senior British officer in WWI? It is still available in Penguin paperback.

LGShurtleff

[truthergw]

My favourite book, novel or factual, tends to be the one I am reading. I liked "The Big Push " by Patrick McGill. I would just mention that you should be careful about the publisher/translator of any book. I have an English version of a German novel which solemnly describes alarm clocks ringing in the trenches to warn of a gas attack. Wonderful picture though.

[Kathie]

I am adding to my list of books to read and will haunt second hand book shops . The problem is that the Militaria shops know to charge a fortune for out of print books.

Anyway, I have a great fondness and gratitude to Ernest Raymonds "Tell England". I appropriated it off my mothers bookshelf when I was in my last year at primary school (aged ten) and it started me off on this lifelong interest. I accept its a romantic tale etc etc but it certainly struck a chord with me over forty three years ago. Ive only met one other person who has ever read it.

anyone else have a seminal book whcih got them started off?

In fact, what about a thread on what got people started off - a book, a film, a relative, military service or ???

Kathie

[Tag]

Richard Aldingtons short story "At All Costs" to me ranks as one of the all time great in fact it was selected in "Men at War" as one of the best ever compiled by Ernest Hemingway. Henri Barbusse's " Under fire" is also one of my personal favorates. Tag

[Ste]

Hi

Just come across this thread - late as usual - but it set me to thinking about the books that started my interest in the war.

Goes back a long way (far too many years) but one Christmas my grandparents gave me a set of Biggles Books - the original novels by Capt W E Johns - starting with "Biggles of the Camel Squadron" and "Biggles of 266" which were all wartime stories full of adventure (and very often based on true stories recycled for the younger reader) and which were so informative. Indeed, the books contained a glossary of terms and so as a very young boy I learned about "torque" and "side slip landings".

Johns own story is quite interesting and some years ago I read a biography in which it turned out he only had limited front line service but served as an instructor at Narborough/Thetford in Norfolk during much of the war. Worth a read if it can be found.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hurrah for Biggles, I second your thoughts. Childrens books they may be but their technical content (geography of the battlefields, details of equipment, use of aviation terms etc) makes for a good introduction to the Royal Flying Corps. The very many other Biggles books set in different periods and diverse parts of the world served as my main source of general knowledge from being about 5 years old: mangroves, matto grasso, white outs, jammed Vickers guns, Quisling Norway, the difficulties of landing on snow, it's all there!

Back to the topic...

Not necessarily the best, but one I like very much: Goshawk Squadron by Derek Robinson. A harsh, sardonic, but often funny look at the RFC in the Great War.

I also like th 'Bandy' series by Donald Jack. Very funny, without (in my opinion) being in any way disrespectful.

Ste

[rmtruby]

Just bought Edmund Blunden's "Undertones of War". I was wondering whether anyone had read it.

Thanks

Ray

[Potter]

I agree with the comments on Frederic Manning's "Her Soldiers We", also published as "The Middle Parts of Fortune". Manning was an Australian who served in the ranks of (I think) King's Shropshire LI.

For me, the finest writing is Henry Williamson. He wrote "A Chronicle of Ancient Sunlight", fifteen novels covering the period from the 1880s to the 1960s. The early novels are very good, including those for the Great War, "How Dear is Life", "A Fox under My Cloak", The Golden Virgin", Love and the Loveless" and "A Test to Destruction". These are based on Williamson's experiences on the Western Front, initially with the London Rifle Brigade (5th London) and then as transport officer with 208 Machine Gun Company, attached to 62nd Division. and then 2nd Bedfords. The novels cover the whole sweep of the war, including events Williamson did not experience directly, for example the London Scottish attack at Messines in 1914, but the power of the writing is immense. They're all out of print at the moment, which is a great pity.

A critical work well worth reading is "The Great War and Modern Memory" by Paul Fussell. This is an analysis of how the war was commemorated in literature, how the experience was felt through literary conventions and how myths and conventions about the war developed. This makes it sound stodgy but it is very readable and massively researched.

OK, I'll go back to Pseud's Corner now

[Guest Rory]

Would like to add Nothing of Importance by Bernard Adams to my earlier entry!!

[stiletto_33853]

Some very good choices here. I would also like to add

The Great Push by Patrick MacGill

Somme Harvest by Giles E.M. Eyre

both I found difficult to put down.

Andy

[the gunners dream]

My favourite non fiction book has to be General Jack's Diary, 1914-18 by J.L. Jack

My favourite fictional novel has to be All Quiet on the Western Front.

Steve Smith

[cockney tone]

like a couple of the others i blame Covenant with Death by John Harris for turning me into an 'anorak'!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A great read which 'hooked me' and left me looking for more info on what exactly went on in the Great War.

Scottie.

[squirrel]

Covenant With Death and All Quiet got me reading.

[Guest Marijke]

Hello all,

I just finished the book :"warletters off Unteroffizier Carl Heller" from J.H.J. Andriessen, a book that hit me to the bone and I almost read it in one breath.

At the beginning of this year I did not know a lot about WW1 and almost my only knowledge I could express of it was: "war of trenches". I got interested in it by a friend of whom his grand-uncle died at the capture of Westhoek/Flanders in 1917. Since then I learned a lot, from books, movies and this forum. I am specially interested in the Salient area but I found this book in the library and got interested to learn also about the germans, which I considered upto now: as : "the bad party".

Heller was in the Great War from 1915-1918 and in this book he describes with amazing details how he, his palls but also the allies, suffered in this war.

Heller was in France, in the Argon area and also in Flanders in 1917 at the 3rd battle of Iepers. Later in war he had to restore the constantly broken connection lines of telephones, with great danger for himself and his comrads. Incredible when you read this book that Heller survived this hell.

It made me change my mind about the 'ennemi" soldier.

They were just all: "normal wastage" (another term that caused a lot of anger in me) There are also a lot of photos in this book.

I would recommend it to anybody who wants to read about the in my opinion uselessness of this war.

I am very curious about other opinions about this book.

Marijke

[truthergw]

Hello all,

I just finished the book :"warletters off Unteroffizier Carl Heller" from J.H.J. Andriessen,I would recommend it to anybody who wants to read about the in my opinion uselessness of this war.

I am very curious about other opinions about this book.

Marijke

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Marijke, I have quite recently became interested in other countries' views and experiences of the war. This sounds like the sort of book I would like. Is it available in English or French? These, I am afraid, are the only languages which I can read well enough to do justice to a book. Have you read " The advance from Mons 1914"? This is by an officer in the German army.

[Guest Marijke]

Hi Tom,

I don't know if this book is translated, but I shall try to find out and let you know as soon as possible.

Thanks for the tip advance from Mons 1914, will read it certainly

regards Marijke

[Guest Marijke]

Hi Tom,

I found out by mailing the editor that there is regretfully no translation available of this book.

regards Marijke

[truthergw]

Hi Tom,

I found out by mailing the editor that there is regretfully no translation available of this book.

regards Marijke

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks very much for your effort. I may yet have to resurrect my schoolboy German. It is buried so deeply , I might have to call in The Diggers.