Reading difficulties/confusion

[Alecras234]

Hi my name is Ash, im 46 from North Wales in the UK.   I am disabled and use a wheelchair.    I enjoy learning history especially the First world war but im having difficulty understanding the books i have about ww1 and i'd like your help please.   I suffered head injury when i was younger and so understanding things and grasping information is difficult.     The books i have are,

First day on the Somme by Martin Middlebrook

1914 Days of hope, by Lyn Mcdonald

Forgotten vices of the Great war by Max Arthur.

The problem i have with the first day on the Somme book is,  I enjoyed the bits of information such as the various troops signing up which were the old sweats of the B E F, and kitchiners army, but then it goes in the battalion and how many were in a battalion which yes great i understood that but then it goes into divisions and how a battalions best friend is the division and things which totally lost me so i gave up that book, maybe id understand other parts better than others i dont know, but that means skipping chapters. I enjoyed the part where it explained about trenches, the front line, support and reserve lined joined by communication trenches.   The problem i have with Lyn mcdonalds book is i found it hard to follow the stories and i couldn't imagine where they were, such as   Positioned in a field next to a village with a church which was used as an Aid post,   German troops 2,450 yards on a slag heap, and we were billited near a farmhouse and could hear guns firing in the distance so we walked to the top of the lane to see the guns,   What lane?   I just found it doesn't explain where or what certain troops where doing.    I hope you undestand what im trying to explain but basically i want to enjoy soldiers stories without the army details like divission commanders, brigadiers and things, WHAT??

[museumtom]

If you pm me your eaddy. I have a book that you would like and can send it by email.

[Moonraker]

Hullo, Ash, and welcome back.

In the past two years, you've asked us for advice several times, often mentioning Lyn McDonald's book, and it may help you to look at some of our past suggestions to save us repeating ourselves. If you have problems with details, why not just skip them? Some other readers aren't bothered about whether it was General Smith or Jones, and certainly not about which particular lane the author walked along.

Since last I replied in one of your threads, my own concentration has continued to worsen, and more than ever I skim text to gain its flavour and occasionally skip parts of chapters.

At the moment I'm reading a compendium to cycle racing,  which offers concise information on a wide range of topics arranged alphabetically. I skip those that don't interest me. Have you thought of something similar to do with the Great War?

And I think that in the past we've suggested videos about the Great War on YouTube and the like.

Good luck!

[museumtom]

Email sent, let us know how you get on.

[Alecras234]

 

I have decided I'd learn better about ww1 by watching documentaries on YouTube, could you recommend a few documentaries please in one episode??thanks 

 

Edited 10 September by Alecras234

[593jones]

Here's one you should certainly watch, from the BBC in 1976, commemorating the Battle of the Somme.

 

[Michelle Young]

Have a look for The Western Front series, by Richard Holmes. 6 episodes, I found them very good. No 1 to get you started

 

[knittinganddeath]

On 10/09/2024 at 12:33, Alecras234 said:

I hope you undestand what im trying to explain but basically i want to enjoy soldiers stories without the army details like divission commanders, brigadiers and things, WHAT??

Have you considered books/videos that deal with just one aspect of soldiers' experience? I wonder if these might be easier since they will not have that panoramic scope, but they will still give you the "flavour" of the war. There are many aspects to the conflict, and I for one actually know very little about armies, battles, troop movements, etc., but everyone who knows me in real life still thinks that I'm obsessed with the war (I could talk about soldiers' socks until your ears fall off).

Some of my favourite talks from the Western Front Association, none of which require you to know much, if anything, about battles or army formations etc:

 

[Alecras234]

Thanks for your suggestions, i particularly enjoy watching Richard Holmes's Western front series.   When it comes to books, i have a few on ww1 on my kindle but i struggle to use books.    I have got books that only give important facts and people involved to detailed books which i struggle with.    I have got Martin Middlebrooks first world war which i understand bits of it but its too much reading.   I like the part it says that a village in Belgium was under attack by the Belgian people against the German occupation, and Erik Ludendorff's house was fire.    Another book i have is called The great was explained by Phillip Stevens which is similar to Martin middlebrook's book but shorter and i don't think as accurate,  i mean it says that 100,000 troops left England for France in August 1914, wasnt it 80,000 troops that went to France in 1914?    I guess what im trying to say is that people suggest books on ww1 to me, i find them on kindle and i understand some them up to a point in the book then it gets complicated, i never know what book to read and enjoy.   Plus each chapter is too long.

Ash