What WW1 books are you reading?

[Fattyowls]

40 minutes ago, Marilyne said:

 but managed to read one chapter in two weeks time, so I've got a lot of catching up to do!!!

 

Nobody said keeping Belgium running was going to be easy, but it's a good excuse.

 

Pete.

[Marilyne]

2 hours ago, Fattyowls said:

 

Nobody said keeping Belgium running was going to be easy, but it's a good excuse.

 

Pete.

thanks!!!

Have a better one : have to come up with a subject research paper for my staff course in september… and I don't think anything WWI related would do

 

M.

[JOHN BALL]

Read it before quite a while ago,but just appeared on Kindle Books, Aubrey Smiths "Four Years On The Western Front". Worth a rescan for £0.99p.

[stiletto_33853]

Lossberg's War

The World War 1 Memoirs of a German Chief of Staff.

 

Know as the lion of the defence. Must admit I am finding it a very good read, especially when you relate the text to Wynne's "If Germany Attacks"

 

Translated and edited by Major - General David T. Zabecki from Lossberg's original memoir of 1939 "Meine Tatigkeit in Weltkriege 1914-1918.

 

Andy

[Buffnut453]

"Changing War: The British Army, the Hundred Days Campaign and the Birth of the Royal Air Force" edited by Gary Sheffield.  It's just a collection of academic essays but I've learned a lot from the 3-4 I've read so far.  Interesting focus of one essay on the operational logistics of the Amiens battle.  

[Marilyne]

"The Red Sweet Wine of Youth" by Nicholas Murray about the life of the war poets. 

It's a decent book about their lives, how they came to enlist, their view fo the war and how their experience shaped their poetry... a bit away from my usual reads the last months, but a welcome change. although... I'll be in Boulogne in July, to visit a nurse laying there and I'll pay a visit to Julian Grenfell of course too. 

 

M.

[sc-em]

Trying to buy the Martin Gilbert book on the First World War, but are there two different titles? One is the history of and the other just the First World War. Or is it the same but different edition?

[seaJane]

I can't find "The history of the First World War" but I can find "The First World War: a complete history."

 

It's a bit difficult to tell from the catalogue records whether "The First World War" is different but I would go for the complete history as it seems to have been published later.

[KernelPanic]

My University library lists two titles: the 1994 "The First World War. The Complete History" and "The First World War" a 2014 reprint (Rosetta Books), which is listed without the sub-titile. They're identical. I believe Gilbert only wrote two books on the First World War: this one, and an Atlas.

Edited 16 June , 2020 by KernelPanic

[MaureenE]

The Internet Archive (Archive.org) has three copies of the 1994 edition "The First World War. The Complete History" by Martin Gilbert under the Books to Borrow Scheme, which appears to have become more restrictive recently (no doubt due to a legal action), as I am seeing that the book can only be borrowed for an hour. However, you would be able to have each book for an hour, and possibly borrow again.

https://archive.org/search.php?query=title%3A(The First World War. ) AND creator%3A(Gilbert)

 

Cheers

Maureen

[Marilyne]

That's speed reading!!!!

I've just finished a little visit to archives.org myself and earmarked Flora Murray's "Women as army surgeons" and the chapters on Women's Work in the Times History of the War to read… I need longer days…

 

m;

[MaureenE]

On 16/06/2020 at 12:12, Maureene said:

The Internet Archive (Archive.org) ... under the Books to Borrow Scheme, which appears to have become more restrictive recently (no doubt due to a legal action), as I am seeing that the book can only be borrowed for an hour. 

Cheers

Maureen

On my browser, on the Internet Archive  book page,   there may be a little icon (a downwards icon) at the end of  "Borrow for 1 hour".  If you click on that, there is also the option to borrow for 14 days.

 

However, some books do not have that option, so you can only borrow them for one hour. However, you may be able to re-borrow them, one the hour is up.

 

Cheers

Maureen

Edited 17 June , 2020 by Maureene

[seaJane]

Just acquired this and looking forward to reading it:

(apologies for wobbly angle at which the camera was held)

[sc-em]

The complete history it is then. It would seem the obvious title, so will get a copy. Thanks for the input.

[sc-em]

Not long bought this and interestingly is signed by the presumed owner.

 

[Donald D]

For St Dads Day I have just received a copy of Jonathan Boff's book "Winning and Losing on the Western Front". Unfortunately it came three days late because I have just started to read "The Last Battle Endgame on the Western Front, 1918" by Peter Hart.

[Radcliffe]

On 16/06/2020 at 02:08, KernelPanic said:

My University library lists two titles: the 1994 "The First World War. The Complete History" and "The First World War" a 2014 reprint (Rosetta Books), which is listed without the sub-titile. They're identical. I believe Gilbert only wrote two books on the First World War: this one, and an Atlas.

 

Gilbert also wrote "Somme: the heroism and horror of war".  I read the paperback version several years ago.  It's still available via Amazon Kindle.  

[KernelPanic]

I was looking at the list of his books on the flyleaf of his Complete History. I now realize my copy is the 1994 version, so I missed his Somme book. I've just got a kindle sample. 

[Radcliffe]

12 hours ago, KernelPanic said:

I was looking at the list of his books on the flyleaf of his Complete History. I now realize my copy is the 1994 version, so I missed his Somme book. I've just got a kindle sample. 

It's worth the time.  It's a general summary but it is well-written.

[sc-em]

On 28/06/2020 at 10:54, Radcliffe said:

It's worth the time.  It's a general summary but it is well-written.

Another to add to my holiday reading list. Thanks

[Radcliffe]

On 29/06/2020 at 17:51, sc-em said:

Another to add to my holiday reading list. Thanks

No problem.  It might also be worth taking a look at "24 Hours On The Somme" by Robert Kershaw.  I think this book is an excellent read.  It examines the strategic and tactical questions but it focuses on the development of the battle on 1st July 1916 and the experiences of attackers and defenders.  

[arantxa]

I would recommend Six weeks the short but gallant life of the 2nd Lt..like most ive read hundreds of books on ww1 but this is very well written..quite humorous and a jolly good read

[keithmroberts]

16 minutes ago, arantxa said:

Six weeks the short but gallant life of the 2nd Lt

Just do check out the chap named in the introduction.

He never existed and was invented by the author. Don't take my word for him, check the National Archives, Ancestry, Fold 3  and FindMyPast.  

 

Just do check anything else the author states as if it was a fact. The rest might all be true, but if so, why invent the opening character?

 

Keith

[arantxa]

Yes......how very strange ..I liked it because I went to Winchester College and i could see why they like boys brought up on Kipling and the fact that they were fitter than the men (i well remember runs before breakfast and lots of sports...in the Memorial Garden which was vast they all seemed to be 2nd Lts ..it was done in class year cos there was so many ..as a punishment you had to do the walk and remember the names ..i often thought the school was just to create junior officers !!!

[Marilyne]

Reading the letters and diaries of Dorothie Fielding: "Lady Under Fire"... I love her style and the way she keeps on complaining about people that won't let her work too close to the firing line. 

 

M.