What WW1 books are you reading?

[Black Maria]

On 25/03/2021 at 21:47, Guest said:

Gosh, Long Covid must addle the brain somewhat.  J.C.Dunn-TWTIK.   4 copies kicking around- One at a provincial auction that I did not bother to mark the result.  One from a kingly bookseller on the South Coast at £1500.  One on Ebygum that failed to sell at £600 and has been relisted in the slightly bizarre ways of that bookseller at £900.  And, of course, top of the tree- a Harrington offering at a mere £2,250  (but you do get free postage-fairs fair). Well,it shows that the officers mess of RWF were not book connoisseurs,if nothing else. For that sort of money for a book in that condition, I would at least expect the tractor which had been used to pull it over several ploughed fields to have been chucked in as part of the deal.

 

I know that ' Guest ' is unfortunately no longer here but i see a copy inscribed by Sassoon has turned up , a snip at £ 6000 

[Lammy]

Just finished Charley's War. A rare diary from a frontline runner and his friend Pvt.Black.

This diary has everything, theft, robbery, arson, murder, and plenty of humor, seen from the perspective of a battalion runner, pvt.Heare and his friend , get up to all sorts of mischief. These two young private's had the cunning and bravery (when needed), to survive the entire war.

I think he is smiling,  because he has just stolen a new bike.

Also looks like a clean/flea free, issue uniform.

This book brought me a step closer, to my great grandad. Who probably would have known pvt. Heare. As they served at the same time, in the 2nd Monmouthshire regiment, although my grandad.

He was battalion Sadler.

Edited 31 July , 2021 by Lammy

[maxi]

I am currently reading 'The Real Peter Pan: The Tragic Life of Michael Llewelyn Davies by Piers Dudgeon.

Not strictly a Great War book but the it does cover that era and the tragedy of the forthcoming conflict.

Really enjoying this book and would definitely recommend it. 

[The Scorer]

Last year, a new compilation of the Sexton Blake novels ("The Sexton Blake Library") was produced. 

There were three, one being "Sexton Blake and the Great War". This is made up of three stories - "The Case of the Naval Manoeuvres", "On War Service or Sexton Blake's Secret Mission" and "Private Tinker - ASC". I've read the first two and am half way through the third.

I'll then move on to the two others in the series: "Sexton Blake versus the Master Crooks", and "Sexton Blake's Allies". There are also two others which are supposed to be issued this year, so they're on the list as well.

I'm pretty sure that I've never read any of these books before, and I'm enjoying them. The first two stories are quite good, although part of the plot of the third takes some believing, as our hero is enlisted to take a copy of a will to a soldier in the front line for him to sign it to make sure that his infant son is not disinherited!      

[Michelle Young]

Currently reading a biography of Isaac Rosenberg written by Jean Moorcroft Wilson. Her works on Sorley, Graves and Sassoon are excellent. This is a very good read as well.  

[Sean Kennedy]

A History of the 17th (Northern) Division (1929) by A Hilliard Atteridge. 

A re-read. It is extremely good. 

[squirrel]

The Armistice and the Aftermath - The Story in Art - John Fairley - Pen & Sword Military 2018

An interesting read with excellent plates also informative, I thought, until I saw "Etaples in Normandy"...

Also states that in the British Cemeteries in France & Belgium, "burials have their feet and consequently their headstones, facing West "toward the enemy". I wonder?

[MikeyH]

Not so much reading, but a few days ago I came across a book in a second hand book shop.

As I recall the title was something like 'A Chronicle of the War', it covered the conflict in a number

of articles covering various aspects from 1914 -1918.  The book included a page to record the

wartime service of the owner, and a touching page 'Family Heroes', in a sombre colour to record family members, who had paid

the ultimate price.  It was published around 1919-20.  Have been unable to find a reference to

it on the internet.  Anyone have any knowlege of it?

 

Mike.

Edit to say the title is 'The Illustrated War Record',  a very tatty example currently on Ebay, for a very optimistic £105.00.

(Of the Most Notable Episodes in the Great European War - With Special Articles by Leading Writers)

Swarthmore Press London, 7th Edition.

 

Edited 14 August , 2021 by MikeyH

[Sean Kennedy]

Through German Eyes, The British & the Somme 1916, by C. Duffy

[kenf48]

Not reading but ‘Endell Street” which has had good reviews on here currently available for 99p in all formats

https://www.bookbub.com/books/endell-street-by-wendy-moore?buy=&ebook_deal&position=cover&region=uk

 

[Michelle Young]

Reading An Infant In Arms by Graham Greenwell. Picked it up for £3 recently at Lacock Abbey second hand bookshop. An excellent read.

[maxi]

I have started to read 'There's a Devil in the Drum' by John F Lucy. 

I say that I have started to read, but due to the superb way that the book is written,  I am getting through this tome at full tilt.

Highly recommended.

[Martin Bennitt]

I have just finished a new book on the escape from Yozgad prison camp in Turkey by Harry Jones and Cedric Hill, as described in Jones's classic 'The Road to En-Dor'. Entitled 'The Confidence Men', by New York Times journalist Margalita Fox, it obviously draws greatly on that 1919 book (which I have not read) for the narrative of how they bamboozled the commandant and other staff of the camp, as well as medical experts, into helping them escape, first by means of a Ouija board and then by pretending to be insane. Fox enhances her subject by explaining how and why the ruse worked, taking advantage of a period when belief in spiritualism was rife, and using, sometimes unwittingly, the methods of conmen and conjurers as employed notably today by peddlers of fake news today. I have my doubts about whether, as the blurb says, it was "the most remarkable escape in history", but I though it well written. The book does not seem to have been published in the UK yet.

Cheers Martin B

 

 

[fellop]

We have a little place in the Scottish Borders and being blissfully retired our lives now seem to be a week or ten days there [no phone no internet no television] and then three weeks or so at home. I always take a book with me of course. At the moment I am about a quarter of the way through 'Four Years on the Western Front' by Aubrey Smith. First published in 1922 under the pseudonym of 'A Rifleman'. Being the experience of a ranker in the London Rifle Brigade, 4^th, 3^rd and 56^th Divisions.

As an aside, whilst away we tend to visit Alnwick for a morning, browse the shops that sort of thing lunch at a pub. Barter Books, I am sure many here are aware of them, located in the the old train station. On my last visit I found two copies of 'Rats Alley' by Peter Chasseaud, both next to each other on the shelf in the Military History section. Both identical hardback published by Spellmount, both unmarked and very good condition. The price inside of one was £9.60 and the other £13. I quickly and quietly picked up the £9.60 one and made my way to the till. Surprising what you can find in second hand bookshops.

Regards

Peter

 

[Marilyne]

Holiday's over, finally settled in and caught up in the new job (loooooots to do and you can guess that the last weeks with you-know-what going on you-know-where were busy) and I'm back in the game... so to say. 

I've started reading "The Marne" by Holger Herwig on the Kindl and have two books from the library : "L'année 1914" by Jean-Jacques Becker and "Joffre l'imposteur" by Roger Fraenkel. So enough to keep me busy in the train!! 

M.

[Marilyne]

On 03/07/2021 at 10:40, Fattyowls said:

 I'd be interested in your views on the Holmes book, he is always readable.

Pete, 

it was, as you indicated "very readable". Not only that but Holmes - as we are used from him - manages to keep the reader interested until the end. Biographies are often a dry and dull summary of someone's life and career but this is anything but. What I liked is the emphasis on French's strategic and tactical thinking and how it shaped his decision-making process, and the fact that Holmes stays neutral in describing the flaws in French's command: he does emphasize that French never adapted his south-africa oriented command style to the needs of commanding the BEF in France but without condemning him for it. 

M. 

[Fattyowls]

1 hour ago, Marilyne said:

it was, as you indicated "very readable".

Gråces/Dank u wel (just practicing for when I buy the whole day's production of fresh waffles from the waffle shop). When's the Lt. Colonel board by the way?

Pete.

[Marilyne]

1 hour ago, Fattyowls said:

 When's the Lt. Colonel board by the way

TODAY!!!

Still waiting for results and slowly driving Joel crazy with my running round the house "gelijk een kieke zonder kop"... 

M.

[Don]

Reading VCs of the Somme by Gerald Gliddon.Published in 1991 

This book grew out of the authur's earlier book on the Somme called :When the Barrage Lifts :

 

This Battle field poster was in the middle of the book.

Edited 7 September , 2021 by Don

[Sean Kennedy]

Amiens 1918 by James McWilliams

It is fairly good. There is something a bit lacking - hard to put it in words - but it is alright. 

[Martin Bennitt]

Just finished 'A Rendezvous with Death -- Alan Seeger in Poetry, at War' by Chris Dickon. Illuminating for someone who knew very little about Seeger and his poems, despite some irritating little errors.

Cheers Martin B

[Sean Kennedy]

Cheerful Sacrifice: The Battle of Arras 1917 by Jonathan Nicholls  

This is excellent. A good blend of operations and personal accounts; good mapping.  

[Crunchy]

On 07/09/2021 at 23:18, Marilyne said:

I've started reading "The Marne" by Holger Herwig

M.

I found it a bit too detailed and disjointed. I’d be interested in your views. Selwyn Tyng’s  The Campaign of the Marne is a superior study, and one of the best campaign studies I have read.

Chris

[Robert Dunlop]

I agree with your comparison, Chris. Selwyn Tyng's book is excellent and remains a key go-to from my perspective, FWIIW.

Robert

[Marilyne]

@Crunchy: I found it quite easy to follow. my main issue with it it that I was looking for a book on THE MARNE and not a book on the start of the war with one chapter on the Marne at the end. So I was left a bit wanting after finishing. 

This WE I started with Roger Fraenkel's "Joffre l'imposteur" ... and it's Boyfriend's fault that I got even as far as page 140... because I was waiting for him and it was the only book I had with me. Don't even bother looking it up ... it's bad!! 

Now starting Adrian Gilbert's "Challenge of Battle : the real story of the British Army in 1914" ... a 1€ Kindl download... 

M.