paul guthrie Posted 24 October , 2005 Share Posted 24 October , 2005 Well about 150 pages in I must say it's well worth reading despite the type, terrific to read what the men on the other side of the wire thought. And, strange as it is, I had not before read a translation of all German ranks like gefreiter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike10764 Posted 3 November , 2005 Share Posted 3 November , 2005 Well about 150 pages in I must say it's well worth reading despite the type, terrific to read what the men on the other side of the wire thought. And, strange as it is, I had not before read a translation of all German ranks like gefreiter. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Just started reading this and it's going well so far. Jack- is there any reason for the strange type(font), it is a little hard on the eyes?This does not take away from the quality of the book mind you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike10764 Posted 14 November , 2005 Share Posted 14 November , 2005 I take it back- a font couldn't spoil this excellent book. Well done Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neutrino Posted 15 November , 2005 Share Posted 15 November , 2005 First, apologies for a subject change. I've just read a book with a poor title but it contains 60 personal and gripping accounts of WW1. Called 'True World War 1 Stories'. I wondered what anyone thought about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 15 November , 2005 Share Posted 15 November , 2005 First, apologies for a subject change. Neutrino, no problem. I have reposted your question as a new thread. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halder Posted 15 November , 2005 Share Posted 15 November , 2005 You wait years for a book like this... and then two come all at once. Out next June from Weidenfield is: Christopher Duffy - The Somme Through German Eyes Which should be good because Red Storm on the Reich was excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Sheldon Posted 16 November , 2005 Share Posted 16 November , 2005 Spike Thanks for your kind words. I'm pleased that proved to be useul for you. The point about the font is well taken; it was not a popular choice. It is one of the aspects of book production that it entirely a matter for the publishers, nevertheless the concern has been passed on to them. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Armstrong Custer Posted 21 December , 2005 Share Posted 21 December , 2005 Jack, I'd like to add my belated plaudits to those others which constitute this thread. Your book is, in my humble opinion, one of the three top Great War books of 2005 ( the others being 'Battlefields of the First World War' and 'Come On Highlanders!'). The toil of your research has resulted in a resource for all of us with shared interests but lacking the means to pursue them in the German sources. Prior to your work, as Richard Holmes so succinctly puts it in his Foreword, the real nature of the German army on the Somme in English accounts had all too often been 'reduced to snatches from the German official history or quotes from Ernst Junger'. Nothing wrong with Junger, of course; but as your book triumphantly demonstrates, there is so much more. I particularly appreciated the 'tying-in' of accounts in the main text with readily identifiable positions on the chapter maps - I'm sure a great deal of time and effort went into achieving this very useful tool for the reader. I'd also like to pass on my appreciation of the book's physical production. I think Pen & Sword have done justice to the impressive content of your work in what I think must be a new 'substantial' format for them. Unlike some others who have commented, I didn't have a problem with the typography. The jacket design is first-class; and as PB mentions earlier on this thread, the use of what is indeed an iconic image of a stormtrooper on the rear cover is a masterstroke by the designer. The colourization of this haunting image is quite awesomely effective. Do you know if this excellent colourization was done by Pen & Sword's designer or the archive or picture resource from whence it came? Also do you know if there is any chance of purchasing prints of this without the book's barcode on it? Regards, GAC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Sheldon Posted 24 December , 2005 Share Posted 24 December , 2005 George Many thanks for your kind words which are much appreciated. I am pleased that you found the book to be useful. The artwork on the cover, including the colour enhancement of the portrait on the back, is by Jon Wilkinson, who is responsible for all Pen & Sword cover designs. I am sure that he would be pleased to receive a message of congratulations from you. I do not know if it would be possible to purchase a copy of it, but the man who would know is Jonathan Wright, from sales, who is responsible for promoting and distributing the book. His email address is: marketing@pen-and-sword.co.uk Give it a try. By the way, why did you choose Custer as your Forum handle? Just curious; though I assume that it has more to do with his precocious brilliance as a cavalry general during the Civil War, than anything that happened subsequently. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 28 December , 2005 Share Posted 28 December , 2005 Jack, I'd like to add my belated plaudits to those others which constitute this thread. ................. . The jacket design is first-class; and as PB mentions earlier on this thread, the use of what is indeed an iconic image of a stormtrooper on the rear cover is a masterstroke by the designer. The colourization of this haunting image is quite awesomely effective. Do you know if this excellent colourization was done by Pen & Sword's designer or the archive or picture resource from whence it came? Also do you know if there is any chance of purchasing prints of this without the book's barcode on it? Regards, GAC I have a book printed in Germany which has the picture on the front cover. I think it ought to be available somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 28 December , 2005 Share Posted 28 December , 2005 Jack Many thanks for writing such a superb book - a first class example of how to use "original" documents. That it should be from "the other side" takes the document far beyong the norm; few of us (even those who served in German) have the abilit to read the orginal text; you have therefore added a massive seam of new material for us all Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Sheldon Posted 1 January , 2006 Share Posted 1 January , 2006 Stephen Many thanks for taking the trouble to comment. I am particularly pleased that the sections based on original documentation from Stuttgart and Munich were useful. There is a mass of material in the surviving German archives; some amazingly detailed. In Munich, for example, some unit tours on the Somme are recorded through every scrap of paper produced down to company level every day throughout the tour. Many of the battalion and company daily reports and returns and trench maps, emerge out of long-forgotten envelopes in a cloud of dust from the original dried mud on them. It's quite a sensation to look at this material which generally speaking has never been examined in sixty years and probably not since the regimental history was prepared in the 1920s or 1930s. Unfortunately it would take a lifetime of daily research to cover everything in these places and, don't forget, 90% of all the records were destroyed in an air raid on Potsdam in 1945. All we know about the Prussians is from their histories, or if copies of their documents were retained elsewhere. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger Posted 1 January , 2006 Share Posted 1 January , 2006 My copy arrived yesterday. Exellent stuff! I'm trying not to read too much because I will take it to sea for my next month away but I just can't leave it alone. Roger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted 15 January , 2006 Share Posted 15 January , 2006 I am late in here... just got it this week..... WOW! Nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halder Posted 20 February , 2006 Share Posted 20 February , 2006 I just noticed in Pen & Sword's new catalogue that there are two books by Pal Jack to mark the 90th anniversary of the Somme: The Germans at Beaumont Hamel and the Germans at Thiepval Are these new works or condensed version of the magnificent German Army on the Somme? I'm very much hoping the former. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob lembke Posted 20 February , 2006 Share Posted 20 February , 2006 Let me add my voice to the chorus of approval of Jack's splendid book. While it might seem to be a bit of a specialist's book, I think that it makes a splendid introduction to the topic of the German Army in WW I in general. After reading the book, an excellent read, even the novice will have a good grasp of many aspects of the Imperial Army. I think that it is a good choice to suggest to someone asking for a citation of initial books to read to "get their feet wet" on the topic of WW I, especially in regard to the Western Front and the land war. Congratulations, Jack! Bob Lembke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam M Posted 20 February , 2006 Share Posted 20 February , 2006 Let me add my voice to the chorus of approval of Jack's splendid book. While it might seem to be a bit of a specialist's book, I think that it makes a splendid introduction to the topic of the German Army in WW I in general. After reading the book, an excellent read, even the novice will have a good grasp of many aspects of the Imperial Army. I think that it is a good choice to suggest to someone asking for a citation of initial books to read to "get their feet wet" on the topic of WW I, especially in regard to the Western Front and the land war. Congratulations, Jack! Bob Lembke What a good idea Bob. I've been mulling over asking what a really good initial read (Western Front - Land War) would be from a british and also a german perspective. Can you or any other forum member provide a Top 3 (I would say 5 but fear my book budget is limited!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Sheldon Posted 21 February , 2006 Share Posted 21 February , 2006 Well once again many thanks for all the kind words. It is most encouraging. Just a word about the new books. They are, in fact part of the Battleground Europe series. Originally the idea was to produce a single volume to cover the 1 July 1916 frontage of 26th Reserve Division, but such an immense amount of material has been turning up in the German archives, that even to squeeze the story into two guidesis still a major exercise in compression. They were to have been called 'Defence of Beaumont Hamel'and 'Defence of Thiepval' in order to retain the emphasis on the geographical area they cover, but to differentiate them from exisiting titles with similar names. After further thought it was decided to make it crystal clear that the new guides concern the activities of the German army: hence the new names. They are designed to complement existing titles by fleshing out the story and thus making visits to these popular places a more rounded experience. So if a story has already been well covered, it is not revisited. Effectively the information concerns '26th Reserve Division (North)' i.e Serre-Mailly road to the Ancre and '26th Reserve Division (South)' i.e St Pierre Divion to the Albert - Bapaume road. Each is stand-alone, so there is a small amount of common material, but they are companion guides and the overall divisional story is shared between them; thus, although each covers the establishment of the line in each place, the 1st July 1916 battles and their ultimate loss, Thiepval has a chapter on the December 1914 battle for the Ovillers spur and another which concentrates solely on the bombardment 24-30 June 1916. Beaumont Hamel, on the other hand, has a chapter on the establishment of the positions, mining and patrolling and another about the Battle of Serre in June 1915. So is the material new? About 95% I should say and between them the two books include more than fifty maps and sketches, which should add value to your visits. Once they are out, which is intended to be in late sping so that they are ready for the summer, I should be glad as always for comment and feedback, so that we can improve the product further for future titles. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yves Le Cuziat, MBE Posted 21 February , 2006 Share Posted 21 February , 2006 Good Day jack Be sure I shall buy both Regards Yves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halder Posted 21 February , 2006 Share Posted 21 February , 2006 Count me in, too. Time to start saving again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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