bruce Posted 17 February , 2010 Share Posted 17 February , 2010 Nowadays, whenever I visit Liverpool, I head to Bold Street and the Oxfam Bookshop. I rarely leave empty-handed. Last week I found "People at War", edited by Michael Moynihan, published by David and Charles in 1973. It arose from a series in the Sunday Times of that year, where veterans wrote extended pieces of their experiences, or others submitted diaries. It pre-dates the Forgotten Voices series by about 30 years. I haven't finished it yet, but it was a snip at £2.99. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 17 February , 2010 Share Posted 17 February , 2010 Bruce wrote "Nowadays, whenever I visit Liverpool, I head to Bold Street and the Oxfam Bookshop. I rarely leave empty-handed Shhhhhh that is one of my secret sources! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 17 February , 2010 Share Posted 17 February , 2010 Ooops....sorry! Maybe I should delete that post! Or just sharpen my elbows, in case we both happen in there at the same time..... Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto123 Posted 17 February , 2010 Share Posted 17 February , 2010 Today I picked up 2 WW1 books from public library. Started reading "A Foreign Field - A true story of love and betrayal in the Great War" by Ben Macintyre, 2001. Next will be "Blindfold and Alone - British Military Executions in the Great War" by Cathryn Corns & John Hughes-Wilson, 2001. Should keep me going for a couple of weeks! second one sounds compelling....let me know what you think after reading..send PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 17 February , 2010 Share Posted 17 February , 2010 It's OK Bruce. I'm sure there will be enough for both of us, we just won't tell anyone else eh? Quite a few good bookshops I used to go to on Merseyside now closed. I know of one other though that is a veritable little gold mine... Caryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto123 Posted 17 February , 2010 Share Posted 17 February , 2010 THE OLD LIE...very intersting book that explores the philiosophy and origins of Public Schools and how these views affected the choice of commanders in WW1...and tactics/attitudes. heavy and detailed, serious book that looks deeply at issue. For me at least this is a huge subject. It was the attitude of the prevailing ruling classes-a product of the PS system-that resulted in such bizarre tactics and a lack of sympathy for the deaths of so many 'ordinary' soldiers. Worth noting that even within the PS system before the war thatthose who went into the army cadets were those boys who couldn't play rugger or excel at sports. It was seen as a way out for the non sporty types. Then those very boys, mocked by their peers and elders, find they are 'ready' to lead men into battle and make policy and tactical decisions etc Haig was such a boy. PS dollard, but semed rather dashing on his horse...proved himself in a few pre WW1 skirmishes and hey presto!, he is Commander in Chief.......saw men as cannon fodder. This is not to say all PS soldiers were bad soldiers BUT the prevaiing views of warfare/strategy/tactics and war aims were the product of a defunct educational system. Provactive views but should be considered when analysing WW1. This book subtly comes to same general conclusions...worth a read more than once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 25 February , 2010 Share Posted 25 February , 2010 STORM OF STEEL, ERNST JUNGER. Details the experiences of life in the German trenches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jake Posted 25 February , 2010 Share Posted 25 February , 2010 Recently finished a couple of books. Backs to the Wall by G.D Mitchell Mud Beneath My Boots by Allan Marriott Over The Top by H.G Hartnett Currently reading They Called It Passchendaele By Lyn Macdonald All Great Books Jake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nthornton1979 Posted 26 February , 2010 Share Posted 26 February , 2010 STORM OF STEEL, ERNST JUNGER. Details the experiences of life in the German trenches. I posted about this book a while ago. It's an absolute classic and I've read it about a dozen times ! I'm currently reading 1914 by Lyn MacDonald which is up there with the quality of her other books. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
27thBN Posted 26 February , 2010 Share Posted 26 February , 2010 I am currently reading the Guns of August by Barbara tuchman .Great in depth read MC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mccartney Posted 1 March , 2010 Share Posted 1 March , 2010 Every now and then I return to Henry Williamson. I've just re-read Patriot's Progress. I first read the Henry Williamson novels about WW1 in my early teens in the 1960s. He wrote two novel sequences - the 4 volume "Flax Of Dreams" series which draws a little on his expeiences of the War; and the 15 volume "Chronicle Of Ancient Sunlight" which includes several novels set in the War, among them (from memory) The Golden Virgin, A Fox Under My Cloak, The Phoenix Generation, It Was The Nightingale. As a teenager I found them very moving indeed; now - well, they're a bit stilted, but as a fictionalised record of service throughout the War they are very informative. Random stuff sticks in my memory - "The Red Little Dead Little Army"; the time it took between volunteering and getting to the Western Front; the attitude of the civilians on the Home Front to the soldiers; the Christmas Truce - Williamson was there, apparently. The later books deal with the protagonist's (and the Author's) liking for both Moseley and Hitler which Williamson links with his experience of the famous Truce. All of these are currently out of print, I believe, but many can be bought via Abebooks. Although I have always been politically totally out of sympathy with him, Williamson is at least writing directly from personal experience, unlike the Barker/Faulks school of researched novels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 3 March , 2010 Share Posted 3 March , 2010 Found in the bookshop previously aforementioned by Bruce (he must have missed this one, unless he donated it!) Not a subject I would normally be interested in but I'm half way through the book and can't put it down. A fascinating good read Band of Brigands: The extraordinary story of the first men in tanks by Christy Campbell Found an interesting thread on the forum about this book where the author himself pops in and joins the discussion. Not everyone's cup of tea, apparently, although a lot of posters in the thread enjoyed it too Caryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 3 March , 2010 Share Posted 3 March , 2010 Just finished reading Tony Booth's history of Naval Salvage - an interesting sideline to war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acoy1stbatttigers Posted 4 March , 2010 Share Posted 4 March , 2010 Just enjoyed "Casulty Figures" by Michele Barrett,a look at five soldiers that had "Shell Shock",a great interesting read based on collections deposited at the imperial war museam.10/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 4 March , 2010 Share Posted 4 March , 2010 Just re-started "The Way of the Lancer" by Richard Boleslavski (The film Director) - experiences of a Polish Unit on the Eastern Front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulgranger Posted 18 March , 2010 Share Posted 18 March , 2010 Finally got started on Peter Hart's "1918 - A Very British Victory" I'm up to Gough's dismissal in March a9a8, and I'm very impressed so far. Excellent choice of personal anecdotes and memories, tied together by a very clear and informative narrative. Top drawer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
27thBN Posted 18 March , 2010 Share Posted 18 March , 2010 The Western Front by Jonathon king ,personal accounts from australians on ermm the western front !! MC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jake Posted 19 March , 2010 Share Posted 19 March , 2010 Just picked up a copy of Beneath Hill 60 By Will Davies Thought I might have a read before the movie comes out. Jake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dycer Posted 19 March , 2010 Share Posted 19 March , 2010 In the middle of reading "The Best 500-Cockney War Stories". This Book is a current reprint of a Book, originally printed in 1921,of stories submitted by ex-WW1 Servicemen,to the "London Evening News". The stories are very funny and the indomitable character, of the average British Serviceman,shines throughout. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Bennitt Posted 21 March , 2010 Share Posted 21 March , 2010 I bought Mark Thompson's 'The White War' to read on the train up to the conference. About halfway through now -- it's an enthralling and very informative read cheers Martin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ulsterlad2 Posted 21 March , 2010 Share Posted 21 March , 2010 Finished reading Peter Hart's "1918 - A Very British Victory" today. Brilliant account imho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John(txic) Posted 21 March , 2010 Share Posted 21 March , 2010 Just managed to locate a copy of "Flash Spotters & Sound Rangers" by E E Rosaire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas2 Posted 21 March , 2010 Share Posted 21 March , 2010 Sherston's Progress by Siegfried Sassoon.-- Towards the end of my second week the frost and snow changed to soft and rainy weather. One afternoon I walked out to Adare and saw for the first time the Ireland which I had imagined before I went there. Quiet unexpectedly I came in sight of a wide shallow river, washing and hastening past the ivied stones of a ruined castle among some ancient trees. The evening light touched it all into romance, and I indulged in ruminations appropriate to the scene. Beautiful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melwar Posted 22 March , 2010 Share Posted 22 March , 2010 Just managed to locate a copy of "Flash Spotters & Sound Rangers" by E E Rosaire. Quite jealous of that! Nice find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
27thBN Posted 22 March , 2010 Share Posted 22 March , 2010 I am reading "The last fighting Tommy " The life of Harry Patch a auto biography only about a 1/5 of the way though nice read MC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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