Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

What WW1 books are you reading?


andigger

Recommended Posts

Not long finished "The Vanquished" by Robert Gerwath, about how and why the end of WW1 marked the start of a period of sustained violence and instability from Finland to the former Ottoman Empire.  Covers the period 1917-23 and filled in a huge void in my knowledge.  Highly recommended, but be prepared for accounts of great violence and atrocity, seemingly on every page.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Sidearm said:

Not long finished "The Vanquished" by Robert Gerwath, about how and why the end of WW1 marked the start of a period of sustained violence and instability from Finland to the former Ottoman Empire.  Covers the period 1917-23 and filled in a huge void in my knowledge.  Highly recommended, but be prepared for accounts of great violence and atrocity, seemingly on every page.

 

An excellent and illuminating, if depressing, book. I was left wondering how on earth this succession of shattered nations found the resources and the will to carry on the slaughter in some cases for several years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm focusing on Zeebrugge right now, with Barrie Pitt's and Deborah Lake's accounts of the raid. interesting!!!

I started "The Vanquished" a while back but then decided to wait a bit and first catch up with the rest of the 1918 books.

 

but anyway... considering the pile of unread books at home.... I'm dooooooomed!

 

20181013_205047_resized.jpg.c614539604c3fa393f402e72cb91b36e.jpg

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear Marilyne,

I like the look of "Aristocrats Go To War"...!

Kindest regards,

Kim.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎25‎/‎03‎/‎2018 at 16:23, Martin Bennitt said:

Just read Frank Crozier’s ‘A Brass Hat in No Man’s Land’ in a first edition I picked up for a pittance in a second hand bookshop in a village in the middle of South Africa. Not sure how much of it I should believe but an entertaining read nonetheless.

 

Cheers Martin B

 

Martin,

 

quick question: I downloaded "the Men I killed" from Brig Gen Cozier on my Kindle... is this another book?? Or the same under another (maybe less "violent" title) ???

 

Marilyne

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Kimberley John Lindsay said:

Dear Marilyne,

I like the look of "Aristocrats Go To War"...!

Kindest regards,

Kim.

it's about the men in Zillebeke Cemetery... going to be a subject for next year's Yzer Historical Guide I reckon.

 

M.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear Marilyne,

Thanks for that.

Kindest regards,

Kim.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Marilyne said:

it's about the men in Zillebeke Cemetery... going to be a subject for next year's Yzer Historical Guide I reckon.

 

M.

Aristocrats go to War is an absolutely excellent book and really brings home how desperate and close run First Ypres was. Reading it led to me buying many of Jerry Murland's other books.

Len

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Marilyne said:

 

quick question: I downloaded "the Men I killed" from Brig Gen Cozier on my Kindle... is this another book?? Or the same under another (maybe less "violent" title) ???

It’s another book altogether. He also wrote a third one ‘Five Years Hard’ which I think covers his pre-war experiences.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Marilyne said:

 

Martin,

 

quick question: I downloaded "the Men I killed" from Brig Gen Cozier on my Kindle... is this another book?? Or the same under another (maybe less "violent" title) ???

 

Marilyne

Marilyne, It's another book, and rather more of a rant against war and militarism, than a strict memoir, which 'Brasshat' is. Hadn't seen Alan's post.

Edited by paulgranger
additional comment
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you both!! I shall then endeavour to read them both... in the right order... one day...

 

M;

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎23‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 07:17, Marilyne said:

but anyway... considering the pile of unread books at home.... I'm dooooooomed!

 

20181013_205047_resized.jpg.c614539604c3fa393f402e72cb91b36e.jpg

 

 

I thought that I had a lot to read .... using my fingers and thumbs, I make it 33 (or is it 34?) - best of luck!

Edited by The Scorer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, The Scorer said:

 

I thought that I had a lot to read .... using my fingers and thumbs, I make it 33 (or is it 34?) - best of luck!

 

Well the big white thing is a plexiglass soldier in its box ... birthday present from a very good friend, and onf of those lying down is not about the war at all and completely untinteresting. And then there's the walking guide to the Arnhem battlefield, so that doesn't count either... so 29 . 

Down to Ypres in a moment... I need a birthday present for my dad... dontbuybooksdontbuybooksdontbuybooksDONTBUYANYBOOKS !!!!!! 

 

LOL

 

M.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Winning and Losing on the Western Front - The British Third Army and the Defeat of Germany in 1918

by Jonathan Boff

Edited by stiletto_33853
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Marilyne said:

 

Well the big white thing is a plexiglass soldier in its box ... birthday present from a very good friend, and onf of those lying down is not about the war at all and completely untinteresting. And then there's the walking guide to the Arnhem battlefield, so that doesn't count either... so 29 . 

Down to Ypres in a moment... I need a birthday present for my dad... dontbuybooksdontbuybooksdontbuybooksDONTBUYANYBOOKS !!!!!! 

 

LOL

 

M.

 

 

 

Ah, thanks ... still a lot, though!

 

Mind you, I've got around 20 to read, although in my defence I can say that the majority of them are crime novels. Then there's another dozen or so (again, mostly non-war related) that I have requested to borrow from the two Libraries that I'm a member of here. Ah well, on with the show!

 

I hope you resisted the siren call of the booksellers yesterday in Ypres!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I often contemplate the thought that the enjoyment of reading is one of the greatest gifts that any human can be given. Exploration into others' thoughts, the beauty of language ... how much has been lost when other, arguably more readily accessible, forms of communication have become available, particularly in the last thirty or so years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah Nigel very wise words BTW Menin road ???:whistle:

:poppy:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is at the setting stage - I expect the proof this coming week. I only hope that you will find it worth the very, very long wait!

 

Next the Index if all has gone reasonably well and from there maybe two weeks to get it printed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you Nigel,look forward to reading, mind its been so long did you start writing with parchment and a quill :whistle:

:poppy:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have just finished 'The Emma Gees' by Herbert McBride and am now on the lookout for his later work 'A Rifleman Went to War' to see how it compares. I would recommend to it anyone who is interested in the work of Machine Gunners during the First World War.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

'A Rifleman' isn't cheap in physical form, but there is  a Kindle version for 99p.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, paulgranger said:

'A Rifleman' isn't cheap in physical form, but there is  a Kindle version for 99p.

Alas I don't have a kindle. I am happy to bide my time as from what I have read 'A Rifleman' seems to be an expanded version of the earlier 'Emma gees'. It looks like paperback versions of a newer edition are 5.99 plus p&p which I suppose isn't too bad, although I am put off by the subtitle "How one man revolutionised sniping in World War One". Such hyperbole may help to sell books but does nothing for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, I didn't think much of the subtitle either. Besides, I thought it was Hesketh-Pritchard who revolutionised sniping ;)

Back to the book. You can download the Kindle app to PCs and smartphones, avoiding the need to buy an actual Kindle. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, paulgranger said:

No, I didn't think much of the subtitle either. Besides, I thought it was Hesketh-Pritchard who revolutionised sniping ;)

Back to the book. You can download the Kindle app to PCs and smartphones, avoiding the need to buy an actual Kindle. 

 

I shall have to give that a go when I get a chance. Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi all, 

 

As could be read in the RANT THREAD, I spent the WE in Strasbourg and because of the sudden eruption of winter, passed the morning before heasoing back home in the Auchan. We stocked up on wine, but I also found a little gem: published by "La Mission du Centenaire de la Première Guerre Mondiale", it is : La Grande Guerre des Français à travers les archives de la Grande Collecte.

Basically in 2013 people in France were asked to dig into their personnel and family archive and produce whatever photos and letters they still had. This is the result of that collection: 500 pages of personal postcards, pictures, memories of the French soldiers of the Great War to share. 

A fantastic source of information. 

 

M.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...