What WW1 books are you reading?

[dutchbarge]

'A Hilltop on the Marne" by Mildred Aldrich. Took me years to find a copy! Cheers, BIll

[geraint]

Lost Voices of the Royal Navy-Max Arthur

Picked it up for 50pee in a charity shop under 'Fiction'

[per ardua per mare per terram]

RF Delderfield, To Serve Them all my Days, read by Christian Rodska.

Edited 14 December , 2008 by per ardua per mare per terram

[auchonvillerssomme]

This seems to have drifted to posters just giving a title...the original question is 'What are you reading (WWI related) and would you recommend it? '

[Martin Bennitt]

'A Hilltop on the Marne" by Mildred Aldrich. Took me years to find a copy! Cheers, BIll

I just got that out of the American Library in Paris. A third impression, published in 1916. I wanted to read it since seeing it quoted in Lyn Macdonald's 1914.

cheers Martin B

[John(txic)]

This seems to have drifted to posters just giving a title...the original question is 'What are you reading (WWI related) and would you recommend it? '

After 23 pages, it's a miracle it hasn't drifted further!

In that spirit: Passchendaele, by Peter Hart and Nigel Steel - an unequivocal yes.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Apologies for only giving the title previously, I was only seconds away from loosing my connection and could not get back in for editing it.

I recommend To Serve Them all my Days Vol. 1, as an examination of the recovery of a shell shock victim. Also as it starts before the war's end, it also has an interesting portrayal of the analysis of war news and examining the war from the perspective of boys who were expecting to fight in it. So far I've got to the news of the Hindenburg Line breakthrough.

[joseph]

Just finished "The myth of the great war" John Mosier ISBN 1 86197 395 0. The biggest load of tosh I have read for a long time, so many aspects of the Great War missed and such a certain conclusion........

Regards Charles

[rendellers]

Any Delderfield novels are worth reading! Currently reading, and enjoying,van Emden The Soldiers War but as a newbie still rate Twelve Days on the Somme/Sidney Rogerson as the most unputdownable.

[Rodge Dowson]

Old Contemptibles by Robin Neillands - excellent book, especially if you are searching for the root causes of the Great War. Also have on the go - 'Riding the Retreat' by Richard Holmes, '1914' - by Sir John French, 'The Mons Star', by David Ascoli. also digesting about a dozen other war diaries, journals and histories of the B.E.F. 1914!!!!!!! Is there time for Christmas?

[deejayess]

Am close to finishing "Suffering from Cheerfulness - The Best Bits of the Wipers Times". A quite extraordinary reprint of the highlights from the paper printed on the Western Front. I'll be honest. Some of it I just don't get, but other bits could be from a Monty Python script. The best bits are really clever. The humour is often black and hugely satirical. The poetry is in many cases well crafted and very different from Sassoon and Owen. I would recommend it but be prepared for some stuff that might not make much sense but plenty of pearls that will make you hoot with laughter. For example:-

Sing a song of Christmas!

Pockets full of slush,

Four and twenty P.B.I.

A dixey full of "mush",

When the dixey opened,

The Tommies said "Oh My!

It's beef today by way of change"

And then began to cry.

Last month finished "The Fifty Second (Lowland) Division 1914-1918" by R R Thompson. A good divisional history of their fighting in Gallipoli, Palestine and the Western Front.

[stiletto_33853]

This seems to have drifted to posters just giving a title...the original question is 'What are you reading (WWI related) and would you recommend it? '

Mick,

See your point, OK still reading 'If Germany Attacks' by Captain G.C. Wynne. Having read it the first time I put it down for about three days then had to read it again. I should add that this is the full version not the one you can usually find. In the initial issue the text was watered down and shortened considerably due to some of the not very complimentary views on the High Command and a new war, but the new release comes direct from the publishers dealings with the family, so is complete and undoctored.

Very informative and eye opening in some cases, a read that I would recommend to anyone.

Andy

[Capt_Starlight]

The Army and the Curragh Incident 1914 by Ian F. W. Beckett, Bodley Head for the ARS.

Interesting read of something that had profound effects on the British Government and the British Army immediately prior to the Great War.

It "cruelled" several careers and advanced others - just in time for the Great War.....

[Tommy46]

For the Sake Of Example..Capital courts martial 1914-18 The Truth. By Anthony Babington. ISBN 0-586-08514-9.

Anthony Babington was a former officer, with The Royal Ulster Rifles and the Dorset Regiment during WW2. He was wounded twice and earned the Croix de Guerre with gold star. He became a lawyer after the war and later on a circuit judge. He was given unparalleled access to the records of executed soldiers during WW1.

The above is the short profile of the author and as it also states,"Babington has the sympathy of a soldier with the intimate knowledge of mens behaviour on the battlefield".

The facts in this book are damning on the politicians and senior commanders at the time. Britains military judicial system during the first world war, was nothing short of barbaric when it came to meting out punishment to the men in their service. Not only the lower ranks, but also many officers were sacrificed to ensure correct military discipline was maintained.

Today we take freedom of information as the norm, but if you were the family of a soldier executed for cowardice or desertion in the face of the enemy.The knock on effect to your life could be as devastating, as the loss of your family member for a crime of which he may not have been guilty.

The information contained in this book is very powerful and shocking, and exposes the reader to a world in which justice was merely a word and not a fact of life. Most court martials were presided over by junior officers with no legal experience, and most of the accused that were sentenced to death had no representation at the trial. All they had was a doctors report stating whether they were fit to stand trial. In fact the medical services were almost as culpable as the inept military judiciary.

The book cites many cases but does not for various reasons, give personal details of any of them because the purpose is to inform the reader of the facts and not delve into personal stories. Each case is dealt with in a manner befitting a lawyer, but the author is very much a soldier in his outlook.

This is a wonderful, insightful but harrowing journey into a legal machine from which few would survive. The fact that these files were locked away for some sixty years, shows the deep shame many of the hierarchy both military and political must have felt.

Has anyone else had a chance to read this book? If so, what did you think? If not, i highly recommend it!

Tom.

Uqfegd.

[DavoT]

Hi all,

I'm currently reading the History of the Suffolk Regiment 1914-1927. Wanted to find out a bit more about this Regiment, in particular 2nd Battalion as I have a 1914 trio to a veteran of Le Cateau. Not a bad historical read.

Cheers,

David

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Just finished "The myth of the great war" John Mosier ISBN 1 86197 395 0. The biggest load of tosh I have read for a long time, so many aspects of the Great War missed and such a certain conclusion........

I have that one on my list for the next few week, thanks for the warning!

[Tinhat47]

Lyn MacDonald's excellent 1914: The First Months of Fighting

[per ardua per mare per terram]

RF Delderfield, To Serve Them all my Days, Vol 2 also read by Christian Rodska. This continues the story from the 20s to the 40s and continues to refer to the impact of WWI on a school comunity.

[simonharley]

Currently reading:

Layman, R.D. (2002). Naval Aviation and the First World War: Its Impact and Influence. London: Caxton Editions. ISBN 1-84067-314-1.

Interesting book - it's good to see someone openly criticise the likes of Marder and Roskill for being far too dismissive of certain Royal Navy personalities as "unimaginative" or "uninspired". There are a number of annoying inaccuracies and he certainly doesn't do Jellicoe justice as a proponent of air power, far too much coverage given to Churchill. While much of the book is quite rightly devoted to the R.N.A.S., it is interesting to learn about the naval air programmes of countries other than Britain for a change.

One fascinating fact I learnt from this book is that Siemens were working on glider wire-guided bombs for the Imperial German Navy. It is perhaps fortunate that they never made it into service.

Simon

[west coast]

"band of brigands" by christy cambell. an insight on the development of the tank. only half way through ,so far its a very good and educational [for me anyway] book. ...mike.

[ShirlD]

Just finished "Quest for C" by Alan Judd, the story of Mansfied Cumming and the start of Intelligence Service - fascinating. Have also been given "Operation Kronstadt" and Fromelles, so a great few weeks reading ahead!

Cheers

Shirley

[Myrtle]

Just starting one of my Christmas presents "We will not Fight" Will Ellsworth-Jones. Story of the Brocklesby family with four sons; two joined up, one was medically unfit so became the local recruiting officer and the other was a conscientious objector.

Myrtle

[per ardua per mare per terram]

With the release of the Royal Aero Club certificates, I’ve found BJ Hurren, Fellowship of the Air, Jubilee Book of the Royal Aero Club 1901-1951 (Iliffe & Sons Ltd, London, 1951). It’s fascinating as it shows the developments in ballooning as well as airships and aeroplanes; plus of couse the background to the certificates and the changing requirements for their issue. It also discusses the involvement of the services in the development of flying; so far I'm up to 1908.

[trenchtrotter]

Half way through Somme Mud by E Lynch.

Very good and see other thread re reviews of it.

TT

[armourersergeant]

Have just finished 'When the Somme runs red' by an officer of the 9th KOYLI. Whilst it was written/published in 1918 it is in many places remarkably honest in places, though full of the back to the walls stuff. Covering mainly 1914-16 it was an enjoyable read, well written for its day.

Regards

Arm