Most Boring/disliked WW1 Book

[armourersergeant]

Oh had a good look at Corrigians book on loos and was not impressed by the size apparent content (loaned from library) and tried first few pages and just knew it was not going to be good.

So this would perhaps be the most let down by a book category for me. So much wiating and self induced hype and then that pathetic morsal!

regards

Arm

[Martin Bennitt]

Dave

BTW anything by Winter leaves me stone cold.

Rgds

Andy

Not all Winter is bad. His earlier books when he stuck to facts rather than opinions ('Death's Men' and 'The First of the Few') are okay. He's not the only Winter either -- I have 'The Experience of World War I' by J.M. Winter, which is pretty good.

I assume we are steering clear of novels in this thread: otherwise I would nominate 'The Flowers of the Field' by one Sarah Harrison.

cheers Martin B

[Jonathan Saunders]

Oh had a good look at Corrigians book on loos and was not impressed by the size apparent content (loaned from library) and tried first few pages and just knew it was not going to be good.

So this would perhaps be the most let down by a book category for me. So much wiating and self induced hype and then that pathetic morsal!

regards

Arm

Lonny,

Are you saying you're in agreement with my previous comments?

[armourersergeant]

Goes cold at the thought then realises that you spoke of the 'Sepoys' book and not Loos!

I have the sepoys book but have yet to read it, though I have it on good authority that it has much to commend it, if that its the only book to cover this topic.

So stop giving me a scare!

Arm

[armourersergeant]

Oh and if you are going to be using one of my many nicknames please spell it correctly...Its Lonnie, though I prefer Tubby, it has a more cuddly friendly sound to it, whilst obviously not reflecting my size in any way

Arm

[Martin Bennitt]

Dave

BTW anything by Winter leaves me stone cold.

Rgds

Andy

Not all Winter is bad. His earlier books when he stuck to facts rather than opinions ('Death's Men' and 'The First of the Few') are okay. He's not the only Winter either -- I have 'The Experience of World War I' by J.M. Winter, which is pretty good.

I enjoyed Pat Barker: there is a lot worse out there -- try 'The Flowers of the Field' by one Sarah Harrison.

cheers Martin B

[andyspiller]

Hi Martin

Agreed - I was only refering to Denis. However I will say that probably his books are only slightly less boring than his teaching.

Rgds

Andy

[Staffsyeoman]

Max Arthur's "Forgotten Voices of the Great War" is a pet hate of mine - a rotten cut and paste job; no context, no explanation, several obvious mistakes in description of the veterans' units, etc - a really poor book.

Then stay out of Waterstone's in the run up to Christmas, Steven... There's a new super duper, IWM sanctioned 'illustrated edition'. "New Money" "Old Rope" "Make a superifical book even less valuable". How many more can he wring out of this? "More Still Yet Forgotten Voices of the Great War Almost That Didn't Make The Cut of The Last Three Volumes"

As to mine:

Mosier by a New York Mile. I actually ENJOYED "Haig's Command" for the very brashness of its argument, whether or not you think he has any sustainable argument. Asked to comment on Denis Winter, Corelli Barnett once said "I think they call it 'care in the community' nowadays." A shame, as Death's Men is a great read.

I don't have a lot of time for Farrar-Hockley's WW1 books to be true, they don't engage me.

[PhilB]

The Regeneration Series By pat Barker,never read so much Old Tosh in all my Life.I just cannot read any Fiction about The Great War.

I`m with you on that, PBI. Though I happily enjoy reading Cornwell, O`Brien etc. I would make an honourable WW1 exception for Frederick Manning. It seems to make all the difference that the author actually fought. It comes through on the first page. Phil B

[John_Hartley]

Stanley Weintraub's Silent Night: the Story of the World War I Christmas Truce.

A "worthy" runner-up to the Mosier book, IMO. Although still miles behind. These are the only two Great War books which have found their way to the charity shop.

Most boring? Difficult to think of anything to beat Henshaw's "The Sky their Battlefield". Boring as hell. But so much infomation, that you gotta have it on the shelf.

John

[Simon Jones]

QUOTE (Phil_B @ Nov 9 2006, 10:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would make an honourable WW1 exception for Frederick Manning. It seems to make all the difference that the author actually fought. It comes through on the first page. Phil B

In praise of Manning, this is from p205, just prior to the attack on Serre, November 1916:

"They had nothing; not even their own bodies, which had become mere implements of warfare. They turned from the wreckage and misery of life to an empty heaven, and from an empty heaven to the silence of their own hearts. They had been brought to the last extremity of hope, and yet they put their hands on each other’s shoulders and said with a passionate conviction that it would be all right, though they had faith in nothing, but in themselves and in each other."

[paul guthrie]

I agree that Corrigan's Sepoys is quite good. Laffin and Clark would just be a bad joke except that's all a fair amount of people know.

Death's Men is quite good but Winter on Haig is a polemic of the worst kind, he even tries to make a case the man was homosexual without a shred of evidence and considering that was a crime that's real bad.

[egbert]

Mosier's book "The Myth of the Great War" is a must for any GW buff. Its critism and clean up with many myths is not liked by everybody. But it belongs in every GW library due to its different and diverse point of views. I can say: I won't miss it! For some pals its extremely painful to accept some corrections on their beloved myths....(it would be too simple to quote the Marne drama; he does not say it was a German win win; in another, related thread I quoted some eye opening passages from the excellent book )

[Steven Broomfield]

Another load of rubbish has to be Stanley Weintraub's Silent Night: the Story of the World War I Christmas Truce. It's full of the author's thoughts on what might have happened, and a bit sketchy on what did happen.

Cheers

Gareth

Blimey - that was SO bad, I'd wiped it from my memory banks Dreadful.

And one for Arm - I can'r plod through Neillands' books. I'm getting on, and if a book doesn't make me twant to read it, I'm not going to bother!

[Martin Bennitt]

Another load of rubbish has to be Stanley Weintraub's Silent Night: the Story of the World War I Christmas Truce.

Strange how authors can be so erratic. I have his 'A Stillness Heard Round the World -- The End of the Great War', and though admittedly it's a long time since I read it I have a favourable recollection. Certainly seems well researched, from a quick look at the source notes.

cheers Martin B

[paul guthrie]

Each time this comes up Egbert defends Mosier and he's bowling alone! It's garbage by a man with little knowledge of the conflict. If you have to read it for God's sake don't buy it and put money in his pocket.

[Michael Johnson]

The Balloon Buster, by Norman Shannon Hall. A biography of Frank Luke, supposedly. Hagiography more like.

Pure unadulterated hero worship. Littered with exclamation marks.

[peter-t]

Have just partly read a book about Verdun by some author whose name I have forgotton (the book went to the charity shop). It hardly seemed to mention the ebb and flow of the battle, but waffled on at some length about heaven knows what else.

Most offputting book title has to be John Laffin's "British Butchers and Bunglers" Never bothered to look inside as I doubted the contents would be well balanced. I would imagine that he completely overlooked that the successive waves of Australians sacrificed at The Nek at Gallipoli were sent forth by Australian commanders, not British.

[Guest mruk]

I'm thinking of defecting to the German lines . If any book is this bad, then it's got to be worth a look. I'll try the library first, then the bargain basement.

Cheers,

Dave

[Derek Robertson]

1918 The Year of Victories By Martin Marix Evans.

I should have saved my money as well - it is dire.

[egbert]

I'm thinking of defecting to the German lines . If any book is this bad, then it's got to be worth a look. I'll try the library first, then the bargain basement.

Cheers,

Dave

[Derek Robertson]

Any fiction by Pat Barker, Ben Elton or Sebastian Faulks- I just can't stand it.

Faulks tells an incredibly vivid and moving story of the Battle of the Somme and Messines Ridge at Ypres in the following year. During his time in the trenches, we learn of Wraysford's mental attitude to the war and the guarded comradeship he feels for his friend Captain Michael Weir and the rest of his men. His story is paralleled with that of Jack Firebrace, a former miner, employed in the British trenches to listen for the enemy and plant mines under the German trenches. The novel ends with Wraysford and Firebrace being trapped underground as the war ends and being rescued by Levi, a Jewish German soldier.

[PBI]

The Balloon Buster, by Norman Shannon Hall. A biography of Frank Luke, supposedly. Hagiography more like.

Pure unadulterated hero worship. Littered with exclamation marks.

Saw a Documentary about Luke on the History Channel last Week,if he had served in the RFC he would have been court martialed for disobaying orders,insubordination.

[stuartd]

I refuse to read Mosier on principle alone as I know that I will dislike it on every level. I'm also afraid that I didn't much like the following:

1. "Tommy" : too plodding and filled with massive quotes.

2. "The Missing of the Somme" : simply did not live up to expectations.

3. "Forgotten Voices of the Great War" : furious that I too could have made a wedge of money by listening to hours of interviews at the IWM and then cutting and pasting them into a book! I was also annoyed by Mr Arthur lapping up the praise for his book at a literature festival a few years ago, and then refusing to answer, in fact dismssing, my friend's polite question on one of the downsides to the book. It also annoys me that the book has now spawned a sea of imitations.

Just thought that I'd share that!

I refuse to read Mosier on principle alone as I know that I will dislike it on every level. I'm also afraid that I didn't much like the following:

1. "Tommy" : too plodding and filled with massive quotes.

2. "The Missing of the Somme" : simply did not live up to expectations.

3. "Forgotten Voices of the Great War" : furious that I too could have made a wedge of money by listening to hours of interviews at the IWM and then cutting and pasting them into a book! I was also annoyed by Mr Arthur lapping up the praise for his book at a literature festival a few years ago, and then refusing to answer, in fact dismssing, my friend's polite question on one of the downsides to the book. It also annoys me that the book has now spawned a sea of imitations.

Just thought that I'd share that!

[andyspiller]

Broomers

Only bought 1 Neillands - Old Contempibles, and couldn't put it down. Having said that - once finished - it left me a bit flat and wishing that he had included more detail.

Rgds

Andy