Busternyc10014 Posted 10 August , 2007 Share Posted 10 August , 2007 Thank you Thuthergw - I have compiled quite the wish list on ABE books based on the many reading lists posted throughout the forums. Now to afford them all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted 10 August , 2007 Share Posted 10 August , 2007 Just finished reading Harry Patch's autobiography last night. Now onto the new Passchendaele 1917 'The Story of the Fallen' by Franky Bostyn and others. Next will be Peter Barton's book based on the IWM photos of the landscapes of Passchendele. Got no money left now so will have to go to the library for my next read!! Liam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 14 August , 2007 Share Posted 14 August , 2007 I'm now into Nigel Steel and Peter Hart's 'Passchendaele -- the Sacrificial Ground'. cheers Martin B They had that on the ferry back from Dunkirk; I tried to persuade Mrs B to use up our redundant Euros. I'll get it one day. Currently reading "Most Unfavourable ground" by Niall Cherry - looking good so far, and interesting to compare it to Nick Lloyd's book on Loos. Typical - you wait years for a book on Loos, and two come along at once! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procat Posted 14 August , 2007 Share Posted 14 August , 2007 Working my way through "Beneath Flanders Fields - The Tunnellers' War 1914-18" by Peter Barton, Peter Doyle and Johan Vandewalle. A fascinating read. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Bennitt Posted 14 August , 2007 Share Posted 14 August , 2007 They had that on the ferry back from Dunkirk; I tried to persuade Mrs B to use up our redundant Euros. I'll get it one day. Currently reading "Most Unfavourable ground" by Niall Cherry - looking good so far, and interesting to compare it to Nick Lloyd's book on Loos. Typical - you wait years for a book on Loos, and two come along at once! Steven, I'd swap you if the Channel were not between us. I've now launched back into 'Facing Armageddon,' a copious collection of essays on the War collated by Hugh Cecil and Peter Liddle, which I first read some years ago. Getting on for 900 pages to last me over my holiday, which starts next Monday. cheers Martin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dickie Posted 14 August , 2007 Share Posted 14 August , 2007 I'm taking a break from all the factual accounts/guides to read No Man's Land by Reginald Hill. Only a little way in but seems a good read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 14 August , 2007 Share Posted 14 August , 2007 Mr B, "two come along at once"? IIRC Niall's book was published prior to the 90th anniversary of Loos in 2005 and Nick Lloyd's in 2006. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoW1988 Posted 14 August , 2007 Share Posted 14 August , 2007 Currently reading "Battle Tactics of The Western Front: The British Army's Art of Attack 1916-18" by Paddy Griffith. A throughly enjoyable read thus far! Lynz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Marshall Posted 15 August , 2007 Share Posted 15 August , 2007 I've just finished Richard Holmes' "Tommy". You would need to come to this book with an open mind because some of the more widely accepted 'truths' about the war get turned on their head here. I thoroughly enjoyed the book because it gives a sharp - eyed glimpse at what made the soldier, as opposed to what the soldier did. Understanding the soldier makes understanding what he did far easier. Each subject he touched on could have easily turned into a book in it's own right, and he makes the reader want more from each aspect covered. That is no criticism though, just a comment on how he draws the reader in and leaves them with some of his own seemingly boundless enthusiasm. A fine book, and i'm sure one that I will read again before the year is out. Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourersergeant Posted 15 August , 2007 Share Posted 15 August , 2007 Being a bit WW1 worn out, from a reading aspect, I have gone back to another of my former likes. I am at the moment reading "Silent Invader: A Glider Pilot's Story of the Invasion of Europe in World War II (Airlife's Classics)" British Paratroops in WW2 has always held me and Glider pilots fascinate me. I also see that there is a book out about Alistair Pearson, who was an amazing commander of paratroops. I see another purchase on the horizon, funds permitting. Sorry, I now its not WW1 but.... regards Arm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjustice Posted 15 August , 2007 Share Posted 15 August , 2007 Currently reading "Battle Tactics of The Western Front: The British Army's Art of Attack 1916-18" by Paddy Griffith. A throughly enjoyable read thus far! Lynz My view is that all the Pals should read this, same as anyone who shares our interest. Another category of readers who will enjoy it are those who like sitting in pubs trying to have a conversation with someone five pints ahead. Griffith is a ranter and a rambler who can wander off into la-la land or scream away into irrelevance and error like a shell. And then he can deliver a startling insight that is a pleasure to wrap around with the brain. This book is infuriating and funny and brilliant and dumb as a bag of spanners. Just like my mate down the pub, and he's a diamond. SMJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 15 August , 2007 Share Posted 15 August , 2007 Squirrel - I've been waiting for about 35 years: 2005/2006...sounds like all at once to me And I've just used another birthday book token to order Simpson's book on Corps Command. Should be here next week. (You know, I think my family and work colleagues have me sussed - Mrs B bought me the famous Gardner's Horse history; my brother bought me the new coffee table book on the CWGC (superb photos), and everone else ammassed £85-worth of book tokens.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 15 August , 2007 Share Posted 15 August , 2007 So, how much is the new book case going to cost then? And I forgot to mention Major Corrigan's book and that by Neiland on Loos as well as Warner's. The latter two have been around for some time and Neiland also had 1915 The Death of Glory which has a short(ish) chapter on Loos. Wish my family were as sensible with presents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 15 August , 2007 Share Posted 15 August , 2007 So, how much is the new book case going to cost then? Shhhhhhh......Mrs B's not that generous. I have Warner's book: it's been discussed several times. I bought it for about 50p, and I think I was robbed. I don't know Corrigan's book (I have "Sepoys in the Trenches", which I like very much), but I will track it down sooner or later. I'm afraid I really can't get on with Neillands' books - goodness knows, I've tried a few, but I can't take to his writing style. Content may be great, but I find his style impossible to read. I don't know why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 15 August , 2007 Share Posted 15 August , 2007 I keep Neilland's book for reference. I struggled to read it. Warner's book had only one thing recommending it, it was the only one. Corrigan is well worth a read, but so is every book. If nothing else, a book can always be a horrible example. I find myself irresistably drawn to any book which everyone says is a no-no. In the same, refractory way, I am deeply suspicious and very demanding of a book, " every one must read ". I am reading Kitchener's War by G.H. Cassar and British Generalship on the Western Front by S. Robbins. Absolute Destruction by I.V. Hull, arrived the other day and is waiting its turn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourersergeant Posted 15 August , 2007 Share Posted 15 August , 2007 I would not recommend Corrigans book, though not to advise you not to read it. I think a book has to have the 'heart' in it and Corrigans was not in this tome! Sepoys it certainly was but then he was a Gurkha officer I think. Neiilands I found useful, though he has a reputation, which I keep repeating thus adding to it alas, of being the poor mans histaorian, I do not necesserily agree with that, so perhaps Broomers you need to give a little slack. As for the book on corps command, very good, but heavy going, the sort of book you look back on and say "now I am glad I read it, now it makes some sense". Whilst I was reading it all I remembered was FSR1!!! regards Arm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 15 August , 2007 Share Posted 15 August , 2007 Arm: it's not the 'content' of Neillands' books I struggle with, but the style. I've tried several of his books, but haven't managed to finish any of them - the one on Great War generals I actually spent good money on, and it's still on the shelf, half read. I borrowed his book on Normandy - same thing (though I did give it back to the owner), and I took a couple of others out of the library...all with the same result. I don't know what it is, but all the same. Anyway, we're not here to discuss individual authors, so thanks for the comment on Simpson's book. I look forward to reading it; I would also add that it's fascinating reading Cherry's book on Loos so soon after reading Lloyd's, to see how two very different authors approach the same subject. Both books very nicely complement each other, so I would whole-heartedly recommend both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourersergeant Posted 15 August , 2007 Share Posted 15 August , 2007 Strange, I found the reading easy with Neillands, the conclusions less easy to swallow! I agree with both the Loos books, a very good complement. Especially liked Nick Lloyds, as it pulled no punches and whilst Nick was under the tutorlidge of Dr John Bourne, it still came out in some criticism of Haig, and rightly so. Happy reading Arm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 15 August , 2007 Share Posted 15 August , 2007 Just finished Campbell's book 'In the Cannon's Mouth'. Very poignant, as well as informative with respect to the duties of a subaltern in the RFA. Now starting his 'sequel' about 1918 - 'Ebb and Flow of Battle'. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane Alden Posted 16 August , 2007 Share Posted 16 August , 2007 Birdsong by Sebastian Faulkes............. a very moving book fiction but based on fact Salute the Soldier Poets published by This England Magazine price £11.......... a very nice book with poets from both world wars but covers John McCrae, Arthur Tisdall, Siegfried Sassoon, Rupert Brooke to name a few from WWI. A chapter on each with some of their poems and life histories. See This England website click on Links and then books. Diane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 16 August , 2007 Share Posted 16 August , 2007 'Ebb and Flow of Battle' is equally good. Always interesting to read an account that tracks an individual over time, especially leading up to and including the Armistice. Campbell's style makes for easy and engaging reading. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 16 August , 2007 Share Posted 16 August , 2007 Just finished Campbell's book 'In the Cannon's Mouth'. Very poignant, as well as informative with respect to the duties of a subaltern in the RFA. Now starting his 'sequel' about 1918 - 'Ebb and Flow of Battle'. Robert Robert, I'm surprised you haven't taclkled these volumes before - they were eventually printed as a single volume. I rate it as a very fine read, well written and catching the atmosphere of the war and painting a fine picture of life with the guns. I particularly recall fine descriptins of the waggon lines and time as a forward observation officer. It always amazes me that it is not far better known. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 16 August , 2007 Share Posted 16 August , 2007 So much to read.... so little time in which to do it Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toofatfortakeoff Posted 16 August , 2007 Share Posted 16 August , 2007 Galway in the First World War-a compendium of info on Galway men a lot in it about the Somme-got it in Easons in Dublin last week. Nice price too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gyrene Posted 21 August , 2007 Share Posted 21 August , 2007 I just received my used copy of Cyril Falls' Caporetto. I've been looking forward to reading this book for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now