docchippy Posted 1 July , 2005 Share Posted 1 July , 2005 Trench routine, boredom etc. Time for reading. I assume plenty of newspapers / periodicals - but what novels do you know were read. Was there a 1914-18 Wilbur Smith, Ludlam, Higgins, Cartland, Collins? Maybe John Buchan? Your thoughts? Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 1 July , 2005 Share Posted 1 July , 2005 Somewhere I read about two soldiers discussing Lamb's essays. Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 1 July , 2005 Share Posted 1 July , 2005 Just remembered that on the Robert Vernede thread, the poet mentions Martin Chuzzlewit. Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBI Friday Posted 1 July , 2005 Share Posted 1 July , 2005 Doc, I know my GG, who was a private in the RMLI, carried a copy of 'The Rubbayat of Omar Khayam' (a collection of 11th century Persian poetry in quatrain form), while he was at Gallipoli. It seems strange that he should carry this particular book given that he was fighting the Turks..... perhaps they would have appreciated his taste!!!!! I guess most soldiers didn't really have much room in their kit for books and other bulky personal effects, but GG must have liked his 11th century Persian poetry!!!!! Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Nixon Posted 2 July , 2005 Share Posted 2 July , 2005 Paul Fussell gives this subject some attention in his book, The Great War and Modern Memory (Oxford) Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salesie Posted 2 July , 2005 Share Posted 2 July , 2005 Just remembered that on the Robert Vernede thread, the poet mentions Martin Chuzzlewit. Marina <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Marina, I'm currently researching Vernede; which thread do you refer to? Cheers - salesie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 2 July , 2005 Share Posted 2 July , 2005 salesie said: Marina, I'm currently researching Vernede; which thread do you refer to? Cheers - salesie. Hi,Salesie - it;'s in the reference books section - here - Thread was begun by Stiletto (Andy) and he is very generously letting us see chunks of RV's letters to his wife. Enjoy. Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burlington Posted 3 July , 2005 Share Posted 3 July , 2005 Apparently copies of Greenmantle was taken to the trenches 'in their thousands' Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salesie Posted 3 July , 2005 Share Posted 3 July , 2005 Apparently copies of Greenmantle was taken to the trenches 'in their thousands' Martin <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Very interesting, Martin. Greenmantle, first published in 1915, was the first grown up novel I ever read when aged about 11 or 12, and I found it enthralling. But when I pick it up now (over 40 years on) I struggle to read more than a few pages. How times, and literary taste, change? Cheers - salesie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 3 July , 2005 Share Posted 3 July , 2005 Yes, Fussell points out that the average man was generally much better read then than we are now. Books must have been a great escape from reality for them. I understand poetry anthologies such as the Golden Treasury were very popular. Saucy french magazines, much naughtier than publications available at home , were also very popular ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salesie Posted 3 July , 2005 Share Posted 3 July , 2005 Yes, Fussell points out that the average man was generally much better read then than we are now. Books must have been a great escape from reality for them. I understand poetry anthologies such as the Golden Treasury were very popular. Saucy french magazines, much naughtier than publications available at home , were also very popular ! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Saucy magazines? Nice to know that times haven't changed too much. Cheers - salesie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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