What WW1 books are you reading?

[Ron da Valli]

Just bought the ten volume " The War Illustrated, Album De Luxe" for the princely sum of £20, found at Oswestry antique fair earlier today.

[JOHN BALL]

Just appeared on the Gutenberg Book site,War Services of the 62nd West Riding Divisional Artillery.

Written by Col A.T. Anderson C.M.G.(C.R.A.62nd Div 1916 - 19. Nice little book includes alphabetical list of serving Officers, plus list of Officers and men awarded decorations etc.

John

[Marilyne]

'Morning,

well that's some good advice to start with on Hart's Gallipoli book. Phil and Fattyowls, thanks a lot for the warnings. I'll try to see it with critical eye ... final planning can't have been much worse than my operation plan at the exam of the staff course !!

I've just finished David Crane's Empires of the dead. Very good read. Not as complete a history as Longworth's book on the CWGC, but it's very well written.

then I found a book at the library of the ULB: Glyn Harper: Letters from Gallipoli: New Zealand soldiers write home. It's a compendium of a little less than 200 LETTERS (insisting... no diaries or so, only letters) from New Zealand soldiers, written home and to friends and describing the landing, the battle, the time spent in hospital or in the front line, or writing to the families of their friends in order to report the circumstances of the death of the latter... one main thing that is noticed through the letters: first the quite optimistic tone of the letters. The soldiers writing home for the most make the campaign sound like a picnic with friends, instead of a remorseless battle. Of course there's the dead and the wounded, and the ruses of the Turkish soldiers, but the overall tone is much more cheerful as one would expect when reading something about Gallipoli. Of course this is explained by the censor, self-censorship and not wanting to worry the folks back home more, but it still came as a surprise.

So now - before tackling Hart's book, I'm going to start tonight on the reprint of LeQueux's If Britain were invaded .

I wanted to read up a bit on Loos, but haven't found any books in the two libraries I generally visit... and with the camera definitely down, I'm saving money to buy a new one... so no books for now!!

Toedeloe,

MM.

[The Scorer]

"So now - before tackling Hart's book, I'm going to start tonight on the reprint of LeQueux's If Britain were invaded."

I enjoyed this .... but there's a very high body count, and the author seems to delight in describing it!

[maxi]

On visiting St Albans' Abbey I purchased for £5 a paperback entitled 'Be Proud' subtitled 'Hertfordshire and the Great War, an Anthology'.

There are a few mistakes, but its full of bite size snippets that will keep Hertfordshire residents, like me, happy enough.

Maxi

[Terry_Reeves]

I am a fan of Belgian born William Le Queux (see by post by Scorer). A self-publicist and something of a charlatan - even his real name is in doubt - Le Queux certainly knew how to get into the right circles to get his books published. He supported FM Lord Roberts' pre-war conscription campaign which led to books such as The Invasion of 1910 and If Britain were Invaded . Although they were novels, the author was astute enough to realise that he could use the international situation at the time to his own ends with many proving to be best sellers, bought by a public who had no real idea of the diplomatic situation in the decade before 1914 but were drawn to his work somehow believing that he had some inside knowledge.

TR

[Martin Bennitt]

Just finished 'The Young T.E. Lawrence' by Anthony Sattin, a well-written and researched account of Lawrence's formative years, when his interest in archaeology led to him ending up on a dig on the Euphrates and coming into contact with the Arab world. The rest is history, as they say. But if the war hadn't broken out, he would surely have become one of the world's leading archaeologists.

Highly recommended.

Cheers Martin B

[Mr Pighills]

I've read Peter Hart's new one, it's called 'Voices from the Front - An Oral History of the Great War' and it's excellent.

It's in Pete's usual style, weaving narrative around the quotations, this time they're all from interviews he himself undertook and his own reminisces add even more to the enjoyment.

I did a review which is on Amazon and also on the GWF thread, don't just read the review, buy the book, it's fab.

[The Scorer]

I am a fan of Belgian born William Le Queux (see by post by Scorer). A self-publicist and something of a charlatan - even his real name is in doubt - Le Queux certainly knew how to get into the right circles to get his books published. He supported FM Lord Roberts' pre-war conscription campaign which led to books such as The Invasion of 1910 and If Britain were Invaded . Although they were novels, the author was astute enough to realise that he could use the international situation at the time to his own ends with many proving to be best sellers, bought by a public who had no real idea of the diplomatic situation in the decade before 1914 but were drawn to his work somehow believing that he had some inside knowledge.

TR

I agree with most of what you say, but weren't they the same book with different titles?

[Canadian J]

I have just finished Richard Van Emden 's "Meeting the Enemy" this morning. It was a great read. What I will take from it was how it absolutely changed how I think about the Great War, and war in general. The book presented aspects of war that I had not thought about which I found to be very moving and memorable (in a sort of sad way). It was the more sad events that I remember most, although the book includes positive and happy moments as well. The book was very human and you'll absolutely detest war mongering leaders even more so than you probably already do. I highly recommend it!

I am now starting "The War Behind the Wire" by John Lewis-Stempel

All the best and happy reading!

- Jordan

[Paul bardell]

Picked up yesterday from Walkers book shop in Oakham - Rutland in the Great War.

A 2nd edition of a book original published in 1920.

Recommended.

[The Scorer]

I agree with most of what you say, but weren't they the same book with different titles?

I've answered my own question .... they were the same book, although the correct title of the latter is "If England were Invaded".

[Marilyne]

three days sick leave... would read on if I weren't half dead and more in bed than something else... it's viral... so don't get too close to the computer...

A friend had a nice thought for me and bought me a book: Pierre Miquel's "Les oubliés de la Somme" ... about the battle of the Somme, seen by a French. the friend in question was enthusiastic because the book shows the mistakes made, bla bla bla... just one problem: I hate Miquel's books... no evil speak about the dead... but honestly: 110 books in 50 years, about the history of France in general. That does not make one a specialist of a period.

A few years ago I started with his "le gâchis des généraux", and held on for 50 pages... a whole book on ONE page of bibliography; no structure, methodolically speaking, the book resembles more a master thesis written by a student in a hurry to finish up the thing than an academical writing.

Now I've got this book on the Somme, on which the friend told me "really, you whould read more than 50 pages of this one" ... right... then first please tell me how somebody can write a book on the Somme without counting Martin Middlebrook's "First day on the Somme" in his sources?? he therefore has Winter's "Death's Men" and Lyn McDonald's "Somme" on it...

Anyway... as I'm working chronologically now, I'll put it on ice, awaiting 2016 ... and hopefully forget about it ...

this would actually more fit into a thread called "What WWI books are you NOT reading" ... LOL

MM.

[seaJane]

Feel well soon Marilyne!

After work I shall be reading In Kut and captivity with the Sixth Indian Division by Major E.W.C. Sandes - online here https://archive.org/details/inkutcaptivitywi00sand

And Pete Hart's Voices from the Front is waiting for me in Somerset when I get there at the weekend - or so I am told.

sJ

[The Scorer]

I've read Peter Hart's new one, it's called 'Voices from the Front - An Oral History of the Great War' and it's excellent.

Just borrowed this from Newport Library ... looking forward to reading it!

(Oh, and it's an unsigned copy as well ... !)

[Martin Bennitt]

Bon rétablissement Marilyne. You're not the only one who thinks Pierre Miquel's books are a grave disappointment.

Cheers Martin B

[Khaki]

Sorry to hear you are unwell Marilyne. I always plan to read when I am sick, but I usually feel too miserable to be interested. I hope you feel better soon.

regards

khaki

[Marilyne]

Thanks for all the wishes !! I'm better now and have egoistically kept all my viruses for me, so nobody got ill because of me... certainly not Miss Dixie!!

I just stumbled on the most amazing story at the ULB library: that of Paul Grappe, who deserted from the 102è Régiment d'Infanterie in may 1915 and found that the only way to be able to stay in Paris as a 25year old man without arising suspiscion was to pose as ... a woman. For 10 years, he lived with his wife Louise as "Suzanne" and started his own sexual revolution.

For someone who deals with gender matters on a daily basis, this story is definitly Worth the while.

I don't know yet how it finishes, but I'll let you know..

MM.

[Uncle George]

'The British Army of 1914' by R Money Barnes. I've owned Barnes' 'A History of the Regiments and Uniforms of the British Army' for many years, and have quoted it a couple of times on this Forum ("bang on the money" - FROGSMILE); and saw 'The British Army of 1914' described as "a golden if dated oldie" by centurion. It has Barnes' characteristic scholarship and detail - he was a member of the Society for Army Historical Research, the book tells us.

I was surprised to see that there was hardly anything biographical on Barnes online, but have managed to post a few things about him on the website 'Lives of the First World War': he served in the Great War with the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, with the 21st Punjabis during the GW and the Waziristan campaign of 1919, and in Italy in the Second World War.

[Black Maria]

Just finished reading the excellent 'Harry's War ' , the diary of Harry Drinkwater, who fought with the Royal Warwickshire regiment as a private soldier and later an officer

from late 1915 through to when he was wounded in June 1918 ( he was again wounded after the armistice during disturbances in Egypt ). It's a fantastic book, with excellent

descriptions of the sheer fatigue, weariness and dangers of trench life and the hell of fighting through the Somme battle and the October battles of Third Ypres after which

came the idyllic journey to Italy and a welcome few months on the Italian front before returning to the Western front and the battle of Lys.

[Marilyne]

Considering the absolutely shitty weather today means the best way to spend it is at home in the sofa with books and a lot of hot tea (will switch to wine later), I'm happy to report that today I:

• finished up with my "Loos" dossier... trying to make some sense out of the tactical movements of the battle with maps and all
• finished typing up the notes on that book I told you about three days ago. Does not have a happy end. The guy was absolutely depraved, violent and ends up being shot by his wife... and she got off because she pleaded self defense. Way to go!!
• started on the second installment of Robert Godard's "The Ways of the World" trilogy, set in the time and space of the Versailles agreements.
• will no not so much read but watch ... the 5 épisodes of the series "Anzacs" ...

not bad for a saturday ...

MM.

[kenf48]

[*]started on the second installment of Robert Godard's "The Ways of the World" trilogy, set in the time and space of the Versailles agreements

not bad for a saturday ...

MM.

Do keep up! Volume 3, 'The Ends of the Earth' is out already, you need more wet Saturday's:-)

Though as noted on a recent thread on trilogies they have to be read in sequence. Vol 2 was disappointing, I thought the opening sequences a bit implausible, though still a good read once it got going. Volume 3 goes to Japan so it's stretching Versailles a bit and to be honest has perhaps too many plot twists.

As noted on the previous thread I'm not sure trilogies are worth the effort, but once you start...

Goddard's second novel ' In Pale Battalions' is directly related to WW1 http://www.robertgoddardbooks.co.uk/library.php?b=In_Pale_Battalions and although fiction restimulated an enduring interest in the conflict back in the 80s. There was a recent programme on Radio 4 Start the Week where Niall Ferguson and others had a quite heated, but unresolved, discussion on the novelist vs the historian. The novelist was Jane Smiley who responded in the Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/15/jane-smiley-niall-ferguson-history-versus-historical-fiction.

At least Goddard has a degree in history and while it could be argued as lightweight if his novels make you want to find out more then i's worthwhile. I read Margaret Macmillan's The Peacemakers' after reading Volume 1 of Goddard's trilogy, now that is essential reading.

Ken

[Ken S.]

Resumed reading Junger's "Kriegstagebuch 1914-1918".

[Marilyne]

Ken,

Volume three is also at the Library, but.... somebody's got it right now... so I'll have to wait.

I read "in pale Battalions" of course... nice !!!

MM.

[hazelclark]

Have not been reading much for some time as have been otherwise occupied while in Scotland. However, I have just finished Adam Hochschild's "To End All Wars", which I have to say I enjoyed up until the final chapter. I was disappointed with many of his conclusions. While we all know that the finale of the first war contained the seeds of the second, as well as a lot of other problems world wide, no one, on entering WW1 was gifted with second sight. It is easy to have 20/20 vision a hundred years later. It is impossible to get inside the heads of people who lived in a different time with different values. loyalties and a different way of life altogether.

Hazel C.