Shooting The Somme by Bob Carruthers

[simond9x]

I've just seen this 2016 book about Malins' film listed in a recent Pen & Sword leaflet. It's a subject that interests me but I'm wondering if it contains anything that wasn't covered in Andy Robertshaw's documentary about the making of 'The Battle Of The Somme' and the accompanying book 'Ghosts on The Somme'. Has anyone read this book? Thanks

[jay dubaya]

Ghosts on the Somme is very much a pictorial publication with 200 illustrations/photos over 208 pages whilst Shooting the Somme has much more literary content with just 24 illustrations/photos over 304 pages. I have to admit to never seeing a copy of either book but it appears that the latter has much more flesh on the bones and sounds to me like it may be worth a pop.

 

J

[simond9x]

Thanks, Jay. I've since found this review of the book which, bearing in mind that I already have Malins' own book "How I Filmed The War, has made me decide NOT to buy Carruthers' book.

 

"Carruthers book also includes Geoffrey Malins' own account 'How I Filmed the War' ......... My real issue with the book as a whole (and that which makes me mark it down so significantly) is that the whole book is a total swizz. The whole book (including Malins' account) comes in at 304 pages but Carruthers' efforts peter out after 49 pages! That's right - the man has written a 49 page book, padded it out with some-one else's reprint of a century old book, and then charged his readers £25 for the privilege. Not only that, but having promised the great reveal about how much of the film was faked, Carruthers then acknowledges that in 1922, a panel of experts acting for the War Office officially announced some of the footage as fake. So in summary we have, in effect, a 49 page book confirming the findings of an official committee 96 years late."

[jay dubaya]

Well that review sums it up nicely and certainly one pop I wont be bothering with and I hadn’t noticed the price tag...swizz indeed

 

J

[WilliamRev]

Prof. Stephen Badsey has written a 30-page essay on the 1916 film, The Battle of the Somme,which can be found in his book The British Army in Battle and its Image  [Bloomsbury Birmingham War Studies series (London: Continuum, 2009)]. He looks at various aspects of the film, including how it came about, how extensively it was viewed in cinemas (the most viewed British film of all time in fact), its use as propaganda, and the debate surrounding the 'faked' scenes etc.. It nicely complements the excellent writings by Andy Robertshaw on the details of the actual filming.

 

William

[simond9x]

Thanks, that's interesting. I'll look out for it.

 

[Edit - ordered! the rest of the book looks very interesting too. Thanks for the heads-up]

Edited 18 October , 2019 by simond9x

[Marilyne]

I got the book by Carruthers at the Defense library and am glad it came this way and that I did not buy it... because everything said here is true. Malin's book can be read on archives.org for free, son indeed why would I pay 20€ for 40 pages of "analysis"... that actually isn't... 

Badsey's book is available on Kindl for 25€... I might think about it ... AFTER my course... 

 

M.