Novels

[Kathie]

Fro two reasons I am looking for novels on or about or collateral to the Great War.

1. - I am myself in need of some relaxation.

2. I want to inculcate some passion and dedication in the topic before taking family off to the trenches and thought this would be the way to do it.

I would really enjoy hearing other peoples ideas of most interesting or challenging or simple good read novel in this area. Please give names and why it is readable. Also suggestions where to be obtained if not an amazon type of availability.

Many thanks

Kathie

[andigger]

Kathie - I also saw your other post, and I was thinking about two books you might consider.

For the emotional impact and a slightly different aspect on the war I would recommend Roses of No Man's Land by Lyn MacDonald. It follows the story of the VAD nurses on the western front, but with her inclusion of personal first hand stories it is easily readable and puts you in the feeling of the time.

Second I would recommend Pierre Breton's Vimy. Its incredibly readable and gives great detail into the Canadian assault on the ridge in 1917.

I think it is great that you (and your family) are preparing for your trip this way. I always find it moving to read sections of books when I am on the spot where it happened.

Andy

[dycer]

Kathie,

For a Novel try "Covenant with Death" by John Harris.

It is out of print and has received mixed reviews on the Forum.

It tells the story of a Pals Battalion from its formation in 1914,training,introduction to the Trenches and destruction on 1 July 1916.

I know copies can be ordered at local Libraries in the UK but not sure abroad.

My Father lived through the War and his two Brothers were killed.He was too young to go to the Front but post-War worked with Men who had.He saw a Readers Digest Edition of the above Book advertised in the late 50's/early 60's and ordered a copy.I cannot remember discussing the Book with him but he was happy for it to remain in his Book Cabinet so it must have struck a chord with him.

My own thoughts about the Book are,although the purist can pick holes in its accuracy,it is a work of Fiction but the experiences it portrays are not much different to the various editions of Pals Battalion's Histories that are now being written.

George

[DaveBrigg]

For younger teens, try 'Private Peaceful' by Michael Morpurgo. Faulks' 'Birdsong' has had mixed reviews on this forum, but it does give quite a detailed description of The Somme. Sassoon's autobiographical 'Memoirs of an Infantry Officer' are a good read, especially if you are going to the Mametz Wood area. Pat Barker's trilogy 'Regeneration', 'Eye in the Door' and 'Ghost Road' deals mainly with the psychological effects of the war.

[Stephen Barker]

The best novel out of the Great War:

The Middle Parts of Fortune by Frederick Manning

The expurgated version Her Privates We is also available.

If you want to get close to the pysche of the soldier at the front - this is as close as a novel can get.

Good reading.

Stephen

[Guest mythago]

I would absolutely second The Middle Parts of Fortune/Her Privates We. It is quite superb. If you're buying it new, I would suspect it's the unexpurgated version that is in print these days. I bought my copy last year and it is very definitely unexpurgated, although it has Her Privates We on the cover.

I would also recommend The Road Back by Remarque. A 'what happened after the war' sequel to AQOTWF.

Cas

[Ozzie]

To the Last Ridge by Downing and definately Middle Parts of Fortune.

Cheers

Kim

[Dolphin]

Kathie

If you're interested in life above the trenches, the best novel of the war in the air is Winged Victory by V M Yeates, who flew Sopwith Camels with Nos 46 and 80 Squadrons RFC/RAF in 1918. It was recenbtly re-published in paperback; ISBN 1 904010 65 2.

Regards

Gareth

[Clive Maier]

A few of these are combat novels but most deal with wider aspects of the war and what it did to people and society.

Richard Aldington, Death of a Hero, 1929

Pat Barker, Regeneration, 1991

Pat Barker, The Eye in the Door, 1993

Pat Barker, The Ghost Road, 1995

Pat Barker, Another World, 1998

Willa Cather, One of Ours, 1922

EE Cummings, The Enormous Room, 1922

John Dos Passos, One Man's Initiation, 1917

John Dos Passos, Three Soldiers, 1921

William Faulkner, Soldier's Pay, 1926

William Faulkner, Flags in the Dust, 1929

Sebastian Faulks, Birdsong, 1994

Ford Madox Ford, Parade's End, 1928

AD Gristwood, The Somme, 1927

James Hanley, The German Prisoner, 1930

Ernest Hemingway, In Our Time, 1925

Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises, 1926

Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms, 1929

AP Herbert, The Secret Battle, 1919

Susan Hill, Strange Meeting, 1971

James Lansdale Hodson, Grey Dawn, Red Night, 1929

DH Lawrence, The Prussian Officer, 1914

Frederic Manning, Her Privates We, 1929

Liam O'Flaherty, Return of the Brute, 1929

Erich Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front, 1929

Upton Sinclair, Jimmie Higgins, 1918

HM Tomlinson, All Our Yesterdays, 1930

HG Wells, Mr Britling Sees it Through, 1916

Rebecca West, The Return of the Soldier, 1918

Henry Williamson, The Patriot's Progress, 1930

Virginia Woolf, Jacob's Room, 1922

Virginia Woolf, Mrs Dalloway, 1925

[steve fuller]

If you want a fictional book related to WW1 try Ben Elton's "The First casualty". Good factual details within it but built around a slightly different idea within WW1. Looks like he used what he learnt when writing Blackadder well! A decent read that I read over 3 nights as I couldnt put the damned thing down!!

[Jonathan Saunders]

As well as "Her Privates We" and "A Farewell to Arms" already suggested, I would add Goshawk Squadron.

[Kathie]

This is great. I have read many of these myself, own some and can acces others. There are many I didnt know of or think of.

My idea is that novels will enable the reluctant WWI visitor to get involved and then maybe they will turn to maps and even a nice easy overview or perhaps even a more specialised area of engagement. I have until next July and the programme of indoctrinatiion is going to start now. What is a help is that all guineapigs are more or less willing and I do not have to do this too surreptitiously.

Last year I bought a couple of novels for grandchdilren when I was at Thiepval - I polished them off with tears falling down my cheeks as I lay in my French hotel room (they were quite rubbishy) and I dont think anyone besides myself has read them. But am I downhearted? - no! Everyone is a year older after all.

anyway, the thirteen and eight year old are not the problem - the one likes hearing about bodies and bullets and the other looks for anything pink and Chanel.

No it is the 60 year old that I am hoping to educate and inform and enthuse and then I will buy another anorak.

Many thanks to all

Kathie

[David_Blanchard]

I would like to suggest :

'The Flower of Battle - British Fiction Writers of the First World War'.

Hugh Cecil takes a historical look at the aftermath of World War I through the fictional works of a dozen participants. He examines the life and war experiences of each writer, including their prewar social and economic backgrounds, as a way of analyzing their fictional portrayal of war-related themes. (Review Blurb)

Which has made me seek out in the last week some of the lesser known novels of the war, two have been mentioned on this list, 'Winged Victory' and 'The Somme' by Gristwood.

Other novels featured, with biographies of the men and women are:

''Pass Guard at Ypres' Ronald Gurner

'Peter Jackson, Cigar Merchant' by Gilbert Frankau

'The ladies road' by Patricia Hinkson

'The Way of Revelation' by Wilfird Ewart

'Medal without Bar' by Richard Blaker

'The Spanish Farm Trilogy' R M Mottram

If you find 'Pass Guard at Ypres' let me known - very hard to find a copy,

Regards

David

[Jimothy]

I too am a fan of Birdsong, and also All quiet on the western front is still a favourite of mine.

[Kathie]

David, thanks for that list. I am now going to check second hand book shops and amazon and see how i do with the several lists.

thanks all

Kathie

[gem22]

Kathie

One more for your list is 'Sergeant Cassidy R.E' by Sapper. it reads like a true story but is a fictional work.

Garth

[paullaw1155]

Kathie

I would reccomend BIRDSONG,not met anyone who did not like it.

Another Excellent one is REMEMBERANCE which is set on the home front, and the Western Front.

The author wrote it after visiting the front with a group of schoolchildren. It is classed as young fiction, A very poignant and moving book. Actually asked my brother to return it today because it has been doing the rounds with his family.

Will try to get more info if you want it.

Paul

[PBI]

For a Non Fiction Account of the Life and Death of a P.B.I in The Great War,for me the Masterpiece has to be OF THOSE WE LOVED by I.L.REED.

I could Wax lyrical about this book for Hours but i suggest that you read it and draw your own conclusions.

One More suggestion is an interesting book by Eric Hiscock called THE BELLS OF HELL GO TING A LING A LING.

this account is interesting due to the fact that the Authour was an underage Soldier.....Enjoy.

[Lindsey]

MY BIT by George Ashurst, a Lancashire Fusilier at War. An amazing read , very poignant and written in language of the ordinary man.

[Kathie]

I have just returned from the UK and a bookbuying spree. Thanks to all those who advised - I carried the list around with me. And found many of those recommended. And much else besides. Balckwells second hand section in Oxford was a great help - a wonderful anthology by Sebastian Faulks introduced me to David Malouf, Gristwood, Celine, Boyd. I have also now met Barbuse - I love his bit about the solider who spends hours carefully cleaning a ladies shoes. a couple of new Canadian books And so on and on.

Many thanks to everyone.

Kathie

[MartinWills]

I have just returned from the UK and a bookbuying spree. Thanks to all those who advised - I carried the list around with me. And found many of those recommended. And much else besides. Balckwells second hand section in Oxford was a great help - a wonderful anthology by Sebastian Faulks introduced me to David Malouf, Gristwood, Celine, Boyd. I have also now met Barbuse - I love his bit about the solider who spends hours carefully cleaning a ladies shoes. a couple of new Canadian books And so on and on.

Many thanks to everyone.

Kathie

If you are enjoying BArbusse you should try Blaise Cendrars "La Main Coupee" which has been translated in to english under the unappetising title of "Lice" - its very much autobiographical.

Mottram's "The Spanish Farm Trilogy" is also well worth exploring - very much a novel rather than autobiographical.

One interesting novel which I found to be a fine read is Buket Uzuner's Gallipoli - Long White Cloud. Mixing the tale of a modern visitor and ancestors who fought in the campaign.

Many novels raise the hackles of historians - I would caution readers of novels to read them for what they are rather than to expect it to reflect the actuality of the campaigns. Novels are fiction.