What WW1 books are you reading?

[Justin Moretti]

I just finished re-reading Tim Travers' "The Killing Ground" after a long absence and am halfway through his "How The War Was Won".

I made notes as I worked through Killing Ground. My impression after a re-read - and more importantly, after reading a lot of other stuff in the interim - is that he tends to put a lot of weight on what Henry Wilson in particular is said to have thought, not to mention Liddell-Hart and Fuller, but such utterances of Wilson's as he relies on are frequently not referenced. A great deal of what he has to say about tanks and other technology in "How the War..." has been dealt with by others, but even he admits out of his own mouth that the tanks he would have liked to see vast numbers of British soldiers recalled to man couldn't be produced quickly enough. He gives the impression that he would have preferred to see the war go on into 1919, purely so that the tank attacks he fetishizes could have taken place. His lambasting of the British for inadequate tactical handling also doesn't sit well, particularly in view of his repeated descriptions of mechanized slaughter of German units in the Kaiserschlacht battles, yet Germany seems to get a pass for some reason. It's a shame, because he has clearly put a lot of work into it and covers ground the others don't... and yet some doubt remains in my mind, even about the conclusion he is trying to reach. His claim that machine guns, tanks etc. have "their own internal logic" is made more than once, but he never takes time to explain what this means, only using the concept to beat the British High Command over the head with their apparent inability to see it.

By contrast, I also finished reading Prior and Wilson's "Command and Control on the Western Front", their process-centred biography of Rawlinson; and while they don't shy away from excoriating (for example) the artillery planning for the battles which followed Neuve Chapelle, they seem to be able to maintain their objectivity; i.e. "This was a terrible mistake, they should have known better, and here are the numbers that show why we think this". 

The complete flipside of this, also getting a thorough cover-to-cover re-read to get the taste of Travers out of my mouth and also to re-read something more casual, is the late Robin Neillands' "The Great War Generals of the Western Front". While Travers' books are thesis-level material that shows in the number and breadth of references he uses, Neillands' book is an everyman's doorstopper that shows in the number and breadth of references he doesn't. He had time to put out two books before his death which basically parcel up and expand on the 1914 and 1915 chapters of this thick tome, and no doubt had he lived, we would have seen three more. I think he saw GWG as an all-encompassing, easily readable stepping stone to John Terraine's significantly more scholarly efforts; but if Travers is an axe-grinder who seems determined to prove that the British military class was a broken instrument that didn't know how to fight a modern war, Neillands swings even further to the opposite extreme to bring the Terrainist view to the masses. One feels that by the time you finish reading GWG, you're supposed to want to stand Henry Wilson and David Lloyd George up against a wall and shoot them both, to say nothing of a lot of French generals (particularly, but not limited to, Nivelle). He's not a complete "Haigiographer" (if you'll excuse the pun), as he has a great deal to say about both Hubert Gough's inadequacies in 1917 and Haig's unwillingness to either keep him on a tight leash or get rid of him earlier (as well as giving him the 3rd Ypres job in the first place, something even Gough admits was a mistake). 

That being said, I think Neillands was writing for the people who'd watched "Blackadder Goes Forth" and had allowed it to reinforce the prejudices many of them had already been impressed with in school history classes.

 

I would put Travers and Neillands at opposite extremes, with Prior and Wilson somewhere in the middle. All deserve a read, if only as a contrast of styles.  At some point, I should get back to reading Terraine's "To Win A War", which is the book that kicked it all off and first disabused me of the garbage I'd been taught at school (a school which, I might add, is old enough that it sent a fair few of its old scholars to World War One and failed to get back quite a few of them). 

Edited 3 January by Justin Moretti
Deleted a couple of words that were left hanging from a removed sentence 3 Jan 2024

[Fattyowls]

56 minutes ago, Justin Moretti said:

(if you'll excuse the pun)

Excused. Good review Justin, thank you.

Pete.

[tootrock]

Some months ago I read "The World's War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire" by David Olugosa, which I found very informative.

I have just started reading "Words and the First World War: Language, memory, vocabulary" by Julian Walker, which looks to be an interesting read.

Has anyone else read these?

Martin

[knittinganddeath]

Recently I listened to the audiobook of Paris 1919 by Margaret Macmillan and really enjoyed the content though not the narrator. In retrospect I probably should have gotten the version narrated by Macmillan herself.

Over the past 6 months I've also read bits and pieces from various books and articles. Some highlights were Christopher Cappozzola's Uncle Sam Wants You, in particular his analysis of "forced voluntarism" on the American home front with regard to knitting/sewing/cooking, the chapters from Marc Allen Eisner's From Warfare State to Welfare State in which he discusses how the Great War influenced the development of American bureaucracy, and Lois Bibbings' work on conscientious objectors.

[Marilyne]

@Justin Moretti. I'll concur with @Fattyowls - would not dare to do otherwise, lest he'd curse me with bad tasting waffles... - excellent review... and a reminder that it has been too long since I read these books... Travers and P&W. I've consulted some of my notes during GS course when we were working on Mission Command but the books need to be re-read!!! The question, as always is ... WHEN ???? 

M. 

 

[trajan]

A bit of an experiment! I have just started re-reading Junger's 'Storm' of Steel' cross-referencing it with the Erinnerungsblätter aus der Geschichte der Füsilier-Regiments Generalfeldmarschall Prinz Albrecht von Preußen, his regiment, to see how they match up! Fascinating experience to read the official history of the regiment and then to see his account for the same events! What prompted ne to do this? An earlier read through of 'A Portrait of the Soldier as a Young Man: Ernst Jünger at Fresnoy, April 1917, by Markus Pöhlmann, JMSS, VOLUME 18, ISSUE 2.

Trajan

[derekb]

After seeing a recommendation on The GWF, I am now nearly finishing “Empires of the Dead” by David Crane, I find it really interesting.

[fellop]

2 hours ago, derekb said:

After seeing a recommendation on The GWF, I am now nearly finishing “Empires of the Dead” by David Crane, I find it really interesting.

I purchased this in a second-hand book shop last year. It has slowly worked its way up the ‘To read pile’ and is now third from the top. Looking forward to it.

Regards

Peter

 

[Fattyowls]

On 05/01/2024 at 17:05, Marilyne said:

lest he'd curse me with bad tasting waffles...

As if I would. Anyway there is no such thing as a bad tasting Belgian waffle especially if it is freshly cooked opposite the Cloth Hall in Ieper. For bad tasting waffles you need to come to the UK. All the best for 2024 to you, boyfriend, bear and the rest of the menagerie.

As an aside I'm reading Verdun 1916 - The Renaissance of the Fortress by Kaufman and Kaufman. It's a curious mixture of insightful (the multiplicity of fortress designs on both the Western and Eastern fronts), confused (the authors seem to doubt the accounts of the battle written after the war by the dramatis personae without being critical - so far) and badly proofed (mistaking the Marne for the Meuse). It is interesting in that it gives a blow by blow account of German attacks on various fort designs on both fronts in 1914 and 1915 and not just the oft repeated experience of Liege. I keep stopping to read other things so if or when I finish it I'll report back.

Pete.

[Black Maria]

Just finished this book ( Keeping the old flag flying: the WW1 memoir of Kenneth Basil Foyster ) a very interesting read . I've read quite a few P.O.W and P.O.W escape memoirs but this is the first one I've read by someone who was later interned ( Switzerland ) . 

Edited 13 January by Black Maria

[Michelle Young]

Reading Deborah by @johntaylor excellent, but my 60 year old eyes are really struggling with the print size! 

[johntaylor]

I'm sorry about the print size Michelle, and I'd obviously say it was all the publishers' fault. They'd probably respond that I wrote more than expected, and to be honest they'd have a point. But I hope you persevere and feel that it was worth the eye-strain!

All the best,

John

[Driver Higgs]

I’m currently reading this…. Excellent book,very informative and some fine photos 

[Justin Moretti]

Just finished Reading "The Plans of War: The General Staff and British Military Strategy 1900-1914." 

The only chapters which are really relevant to World War 1 are the first couple and the last, as they deal directly with the formation of the General Staff (a very difficult birth, it would seem) and with planning around what would be done in the event of a European war. Some of the middle part of the book deals with plans for the defence of India, Egypt and the Canal zone, and other such concerns, the contribution of the major colonies/dominions (particularly Canada and Australia) to Imperial defence and other grand strategic and political questions, but even in those things we have some interesting snippets.

The chapter on Egypt deals with its defence against the most immediate enemy in the region, the Ottoman Empire, and what might be done in those circumstances. From what Gooch describes, a landing on the Dardanelles and a forcing of the straits were considered as far back as 1906, and held back then to be inadvisable. When the question was examined again in 1914, it would appear to have been judged feasible if done as a surprise combined operation which was meticulously planned; but early bombardments of the lower forts (laid at Churchill's feet) tipped the Turks off and the combined landing operation was neither a surprise nor as meticulously planned as was the deployment of the BEF to France in August 1914. In fact, it would be fair to say that there was no in-depth planning at all done, and the muddling through which actually occurred was of course nowhere near good enough. 

The chapters dealing with planning for a European war and its actual execution are quite fascinating, as the plan seemed to have see-sawed from "We will fight to defend Belgium" to a realization that the Belgian Army was a sh**show and that it would be much more productive to stand alongside and fit in with the French. Interestingly, at the time the General Staff seem to have regarded a German "hook" through Belgium to be something which would happen as a reaction to being stopped at the French border, rather than being part of the plan at the time. One thing I didn't know is that the decision to fight alongside France even if Belgium is NOT invaded doesn't start with Henry Wilson (who comes in for a lot of criticism from some revisionists for his allegedly slavish Francophilia) but with James Grierson, he of the "dropped dead on the way to the front and had to be replaced by Smith-Dorrien" variety.

The final chapter, once battle is joined, deals with the reasons why Kitchener was appointed as Secretary of State for War, why this was (in Gooch's opinion) a very bad decision; all the things which flowed from it; the apparent impotence of the three Chiefs of the Imperial General Staff under Kitchener's control (Douglas swiftly dead of overwork, the two Murrays basically his lapdogs); and finally Kitchener's hands being eased from the reins of control and responsibility for advising the civilian government being handed back to the CIGS (Robertson). 

The book is very dry, but worth a read for those who want an inside look into what the British Army was thinking about in the lead-up to World War 1.

[trajan]

Just started Somme Mud, E.P.F.Lych ed by W.Davies (Bantam Books), the autobiographical account of Edward Lynch, A.I.F, on the Western Front 1916-1918/1919. Quite gripping, really, but the equation of this in the Forward with the All Quiet on the Western Front does not ring quite true, as Remarques was very much a rear-line man called up front when needed for trenching, etc., Lynch was full-time front-line.

Julian

[kenf48]

2 hours ago, trajan said:

Just started Somme Mud, E.P.F.Lych ed by W.Davies (Bantam Books), the autobiographical account of Edward Lynch, A.I.F, on the Western Front 1916-1918/1919. Quite gripping, really, but the equation of this in the Forward with the All Quiet on the Western Front does not ring quite true, as Remarques was very much a rear-line man called up front when needed for trenching, etc., Lynch was full-time front-line.

Julian

Well don’t try to criticise it even though it bears no resemblance to the author’s readily available service record

 

[rolt968]

I'm not sure if this quite a WW1 Book:

Esmond; The Lost Idol 1895-1917 by Astor and Campbell. Helion.

I have also acquired a copy of The Way of Revelation, Ewart.

Gavin William Esmond Elliot. son of the Earl of Minto is on a war memorial I am researching. (Apparently one of the characters in the Way of Revelation is him thinly disguised.)

RM

[Gardenerbill]

A few years ago forum pal @ororkep recommended an out of print book "Nine Days: Adventures of a Heavy Artillery Brigade of the Third Army during the German Offensive of March 21st-29 1918 by Arthur F Behrend", to help with some research I was doing into a family member who served with 277th Siege Battery. I recently managed to get a reprint from Naval and Military Press and I am thoroughly enjoying this short but well written account of those dark days of the German offensive in March 1918. Thanks ororkep for your recommendation.

[Loopgraaf]

I bought a few weeks ago the Dutch version of this book. 

It read easy and it is intresting the point of view of 19 or 20 people in different countries, different fronts (not only the westfront) jobs, school, situation and backgrounds, how they see and live in the war.

People like you and me in a new horrible situation..........called war. 

 

 

[seaJane]

That looks interesting - thank you!

[Black Maria]

I'm reading 'The Mespot Letters of a Cotswold Soldier ' and also ' The Neglected War ' by A.J Barker to try and get an overview of the campaign . Both very good books although i wish the latter one had more maps . 

 

[seaJane]

I'm near the end of Michael Palin's book (about his) ’Great-Uncle Harry' and very much enjoying it. MP has a very distinctive writing voice and I can almost hear him speaking as I read.

It is rather full of "must have been" etc, as Harry himself was not very communicative, but so far I haven't really picked up anything to be negative about, except for the cliché that they thought it would "all be over by Christmas."

seaJane 

Edited 2 February by seaJane

[Marilyne]

On 29/01/2024 at 18:38, trajan said:

Just started Somme Mud, E.P.F.Lych ed by W.Davies (Bantam Books), the autobiographical account of Edward Lynch, A.I.F, on the Western Front 1916-1918/1919. Quite gripping, really, but the equation of this in the Forward with the All Quiet on the Western Front does not ring quite true, as Remarques was very much a rear-line man called up front when needed for trenching, etc., Lynch was full-time front-line.

Julian

That book is amazing!! 

I had to put it aside a couple of times to get to collect myself again... so poignant. 

I just ordered Davies' book "in the footspteps of Pvt Lynch"... once ot's there and I get to it, I'll share my views on it. 

M.

[GWF1967]

On 02/02/2024 at 19:53, seaJane said:

I'm near the end of Michael Palin's book (about his) ’Great-Uncle Harry' and very much enjoying it. MP has a very distinctive writing voice and I can almost hear him speaking as I read.

It is rather full of "must have been" etc, as Harry himself was not very communicative, but so far I haven't really picked up anything to be negative about, except for the cliché that they thought it would "all be over by Christmas."

seaJane 

I was given a copy as a seasonal gift and  also found it a very good read. Like you, I also found M.P’s voice coming through as I read.  
 I recently finished “An Infant In Arms” - War letters of a Company Officer 1914 - 1918 - Graham H. Greenwell, 4th Ox & Bucks Light Infantry, and am currently reading “Volunteers” by Richard Van Emden - another seasonal gift.
 Both highly recommended.  

[Marilyne]

I've just updated my LIST... that is the piles of books I still have laying around unread (including the result of my visit to the Grenadiers' last week), those on Kindl and then those earmarked at the RMA library I want to read one of these days... I come to a total (in this order) of 46 - 39 - 25 !! 

That's 110 books I still want to read... but now have to find the time for between work, horse, home & marching team. 

HEEEEEEELP !!! 

M.