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Remembered Today:

What WW1 books are you reading?


andigger

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Just taken delivery of 'The Blue Beast, Power and Passion in the Great War' by Jonathan Walker.

 

Looking forward to reading this one I can tell you!

 

Maxi

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Hi... been away for a while... running around, working, walking ... the usual... writing my historical Guide for the Yzer.

In the middle of Philpott's Somme book... then going on more gender related issues: Dorothy Lawrence's "Sapper Dorothy" and then a book about how the war changed gender roles: "Singled Out". That's going to be my ,new WWI-topic for a while, I guess...

 

Greetz,

 

Marilyne

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Read Leon Wolfe's In Flanders Fields recently and thought I needed a burst of revisionism so I'm giving Peter Hart & Nigel Steel's Passchendaele a go - well written as ever by Mr Hart, but I'm not really getting the revisionist angle yet. 

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In Flanders Fields was the first Great War book I ever read - you could say it was the beginning of my path to this forum!

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2 minutes ago, seaJane said:

In Flanders Fields was the first Great War book I ever read - you could say it was the beginning of my path to this forum!

 

I can't remember which was the first Great War book I read - but I'm sure it featured a chap called Bigglesworth.

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I still haven't read those! I probably should ...

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Just found in a local charity shop, 'Death's Men', Soldiers of the Great War, by Denis Winter, the result of 'talking to survivors over three years'.  The book was published in 1978, have never come across this title previously, looks like a good account of 'those at the bottom end of the army'.  The cover and rear cover images featuring facial close ups, are particularly effective.

 

Need to do a sort out regarding in which order my ever growing pile of 'to be reads' are selected!

 

 

Mike.

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If you get on with 'Death's Men', you may like his book on the RFC, 'The First of the Few' 

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On 7 July 2016 at 22:31, David Ridgus said:

Just picked up a second hand copy of Siegfried Sassoon's 'Diaries 1915-1918'. Amazed there doesn't seem to have been an edition published since the early eighties. Terrific read.

 

David

 

I recently read his George Sherston novels for the first time. Beautifully written stories based on his experiences in those diaries charting the transition from the carefree life of a gentleman to the horrors of war.

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Currently reading 'Another World' (1897-1917) by Sir Anthony Eden, detailing his growing up in Victorian/Edwardian England and latterly his service in France as a junior officer. A very well written book that really conveys not only his privileged youth, but the horror of warfare on the Western front. Only slight: 150+ pages, but the writing is polished and Eden does an excellent job in articulating some of the ideas and attitudes of the times. He reveals the sad sacrifice made by his family: older brother Jack was killed in action in 1914, and his younger brother Nicholas only 17, was killed at Jutland. 'Another World' indeed...

Edited by Main Body
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On ‎13‎/‎08‎/‎2016 at 12:48, MikeyH said:

Just found in a local charity shop, 'Death's Men', Soldiers of the Great War, by Denis Winter, the result of 'talking to survivors over three years'.  The book was published in 1978, have never come across this title previously, looks like a good account of 'those at the bottom end of the army'.  The cover and rear cover images featuring facial close ups, are particularly effective.

 

Need to do a sort out regarding in which order my ever growing pile of 'to be reads' are selected!

 

 

Mike.

 

I've been told to be carefull with "Death's Men" ... take it all with a grain of salt as they say...

 

M.

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'Death's men' has an excellent bibliography at the back, it was invaluable to me when I first started to collect WW1 memoirs. 

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Emily Mayhew

 

wounded from battlefield to blighty 1914-18  :thumbsup:

 

excellent book, various articles from stretcher bearers, MO, front line doctors and surgeons, fills a needed gap in ww1 about this subject,  

Biffo :poppy:

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9 hours ago, Black Maria said:

'Death's men' has an excellent bibliography at the back, it was invaluable to me when I first started to collect WW1 memoirs. 

Yes I used the same bibliography when I started out, which is why you & I are always chasing after the same books!

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39 minutes ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

Yes I used the same bibliography when I started out, which is why you & I are always chasing after the same books!

I don't have the book anymore because I had to sell it to make room for all the others, but i was looking at a copy in a bookshop the other day and

I think we must have all of them on that list by now :D. I think I've already mentioned it but when I use to go round the military book fairs and ask

about WW1 memoirs they would say " Oh, are you the one that collects first edition in their jackets?( which I didn't then ). So I think you could be

right and we were the only two people after them.

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Somewhere in Flanders -Letters of a Norfolk padre in the Great War.   Letters The Reverend Samuel Frederick Leighton Green MC(1882-1929).   Letters he wrote to his parish on a regular basis to his congregation in Norwich.

 

The Clash of Empires 1914-39 - The Official History of the United Board.    Even in my days in the British Army in the 1960's only 3 religions seem to be recognised ie C of E, RC & Other Denominations.   This books tells the history of the "OD's" fighting for official recognition.

 

Not being at all religious I still find these books of interest.

 

Mike

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I've just been given a copy of Terry Carter's "Birmingham Pals" for my 60th. 

I'm enjoying it so far, and can appreciate the phenomenal amount of research that has gone into it. Being a Brummie myself, it's always nice to learn more about local history too.

Packed with a more than generous helping of marvellous photos too.

I'm only a quarter of the way through it, but it's a thumbs up from me :thumbsup:

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neverforget

Enjoy the read, I recieved mine a couple of years ago it is very interesting to say the least. Waiting now to see what the "Kidderminster in the Great War" is like.

Now I know why WIT is quiet, saving them up for the "dark days"?

 

Regards

John

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Attack On The Somme - 1st ANZAC Corps and the Battle of Pozieres Ridge 1916 by Meleah Hampton

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'Fire and Movement' by Peter Hart, the events of 1914 on the battlefield. Very readable, and doesn't lose sight of the fact that the BEF was a very small cog in a massive Allied wheel. The French get the credit they deserve, the German experience is well documented. Overall, very impressive.

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On ‎13‎/‎08‎/‎2016 at 12:03, paulgranger said:

If you get on with 'Death's Men', you may like his book on the RFC, 'The First of the Few' 

Hi

However, beware his casualty figures for the RFC (HB page 36) are a total 'fabrication'.

 

Mike

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Mike

 

Yes, I saw your comments on another thread about that. I've not read the book for ages, but I think he has another stab at the figures elsewhere in the book that differ from the page 36 mention you reference. I'll have to dig the book out and check.

 

Paul

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