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Remembered Today:

What WW1 books are you reading?


andigger

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An excellent book called 'Brothers in War' by Michael Walsh. Published by Ebury Press

Story of 8 brothers who served.

13th East Yorks (Officer)

2nd Bn Lincolnshire Regiment

London Irish Rifles

Royal Fusiliers

4th Fd Ambulance AIF

16th Bn & 48th Bn AIF

Royal Army Medical Corps

Royal Garrison Artillery

Highly Recommended book for the Summer!

A

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I have just shelved , " Machine Guns, Their History and Tactical Employment". Lots of information and will be mined for data but I did not like the way it was written. The author was a soldier. Lieut. Col. G.S. Hutchinson. D.S.O. M.C. Published in the mid Thirties. It was crying out for a decent editor. Definitely one for the shelf.

Edit: Forgot to say, this is a modern reprint by N&M

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"Amiens - Dawn of Victory" (McWilliam & Steel) - after a recommendation from the forum

& "For King & Empire - The Canadians at Amiens, August 1918" (Christie)

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I have just shelved , " Machine Guns, Their History and Tactical Employment". Lots of information and will be mined for data but I did not like the way it was written. The author was a soldier. Lieut. Col. G.S. Hutchinson. D.S.O. M.C. Published in the mid Thirties. It was crying out for a decent editor. Definitely one for the shelf.

He wrote quite a few books, including the Histories of the 33rd Division, and of the 33rd MG Battalion, both of which spend a lot of time telling you what wonderful work the machine guns did. Their gallant commander (one Lt Col Hutchison, DSO, MC) sounds quite a star <_< . He also wrote a couple of books of remiscences.

I'm reading "Loos 1915" by Lloyd, and have "Most Unfavourable Ground" by Cherry on its way. I think I spot a theme here.

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Not strictly Great War but reading 'Sahib' by Richard Holmes and 'The Ruling Caste' - both books about the British in India but background to the War

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I'm reading "Loos 1915" by Lloyd, and have "Most Unfavourable Ground" by Cherry on its way. I think I spot a theme here.

I enjoyed this, a good critical look at the command and control side of Loos.

regards

Arm

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After a bit of digression, I have finally finished martin Middlebrook's 'First day on The Somme' - an excellent read in my opinion.

Roxy

I agree completely, I've had at least four copies of this book and read them all until they have fallen to bits. My latest copy is about ready to give up the ghost too, but I never tire of reading this book. I end up reading it in real time though, cover to cover in a day.

I'm currently (just started) reading the history of the 36th (Ulster) Division.

Nigel

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Struggling with with Rudolph Bindings "A fatalist at War"

Some good observations, quite pessimistic and in places hard going. It is rated as one of the classics....hmmmm?

Still it is a 1929 edition in original DW and as such deserves care.

TT

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"echo of guns" recollections of a royal artillery officier.

by harry siepmann (edited by his son).

a vivid and totally authentic account of the day to day life of a soldier in the Great War, both at t he front and behind the lines.

Hal's Siepmann's letters and diairies were skillfully edited by his sin to present a fascinating picture of the life of an officer of the royal field artillery- in a mode of warfare never seen again after the first world war. after a short period in Egypt, siepmann served as a subaltern and captain in France and Italy, going on to Germany with the occupation force after the armistice

his detailed stories of the event-major and minor- of these years offer a graphic acompaniment to the horrific statsitics and grand political schemes of the history textbooks. this is the human face of the first world war, evoking all its confusion-, absurdity and pathos.

but for a non-english speaker difficult enough to read.

greets arneken

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Have thoroughly enjoyed "Jutland 1916" by Nigel Steel and Peter Hart. It traced the battle, illustrating it with first hand accounts of those who took part in it on both sides. Recommended reading.

Chris

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About 2/3 the way through "Thirteen Years After" by William Bird. The travelling memoirs of a Canadian soldier who returned to F & F - 13 years later

I think that I'm enjoying it :blush: ..............his writing style is a bit like a wet day in Manchester (dark and miserable) at times

Quite struck by how much war damage (debris) still existed 13 years after...............:mellow:

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Have just set off on the first couple of chapters of Carlyon's 'Gallipoli', and what a great start... am very much looking forward to the rest of it!

Dave

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Just finished Neil Oliver's "Not Forgotten" - enjoyed it more than most who have commented - very light and somewhat unfocused but does bring together quite a few incidents I didn't know much about - the Souls brothers, the sinking of the Iolaire off Scarp, the Quintinshill railway accident etc.

Now Lyn McDonald's "They Called It Paschendaele"

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Finding "Forgotten Lunatics" very hard going - so have temporarily diverted to Max Egremont "Biography" of Sassoon.

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The German Army at Passchendaele, Jack Sheldon. As good as his previous, I strongly recommend all of Jacks books.

Mick

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its a long way to tipperary,british and irish nurses in the great war. yvonne mcewen, excellent highly recommended

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  • 2 weeks later...

mostly re-reading in prep for a planned visit to Somme in Jan 08, includes..

currently, the Battleground Europe series

followed by Fatal Avenue

Up To Mametz

I Survived Didn't I?

Battlefields/First Day (Middlebrook)

Some Desperate Glory

Not For Glory

Haven't read a Great War book for about a year, amazing how this subject grabs your interest again & again isn't it?

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To help with my research I am reading "The Great War" by Ian F.W.Beckett which came out in 2001.

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i have racently been reading the book " the dessrt column by ION L. IDRIESS ,the book itself is composed of the diary of an australian trooper who served in Gallipoli, Sinai, and Palestine, -a very impressive book

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Christopher Duffy - through German eyes: the British & the Somme 1916. Excellent.

Jack Sheldon : The German Army at Passchendaele. Superb.

Riding the retreat : Richard Holmes - Thoroughly enjoyable and absorbing.

First Day on Somme : Martin Middlebrook - yet to start it.

Haigh's Despatches: yet to start it.

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I've just finished Nick Lloyd's "Loos 1915", which was very interesting and extremely readable and also enlightening. I am moving on to Niall Cherry's "Most Unfavourable ground", also about Loos, but in the interim I'm having a rest and reading John Major's cricket history.

Jack Sheldon's book awaits the (I hope) receipt of book tokens for my birthday. If the book tokens dodn't materialise, then I'm afraid a family row will ensue and I'll be on washing-up duties for a few weeks <_< The companion volume on the Somme rated as "excellent" so I think it unfair of Mrs B to deny me this pleasure.

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