What WW1 books are you reading?

[David B]

Picked this book up from the local library, looked rather daggy but to my surprise it was published in 2009. Must have had a lot of readers.

The book is called Over The Top by H G Hartnett and is called a diggers story of the Western Front.

Described a young lad from Inverell (New South Wales) from whoa to go. Have not finished it yet but am very pleased with the story.

David

[squirrel]

Prelude to Victory by Spears and the new Arras book by Peter Barton and Jeremy Banning - both excellent IMHO.

[Great War Truck]

Following on from our recent find of an LGOC B Type bus magneto in a local tool shop, i am currently reading Roy Larkins superb "Destination Western Front - London's Omnibuses go to war". There really are very few books on Great War MT and this one certainly helps fill a gap. Now if Johan Vollert could just be persuaded to do his book on German MT then that would be another space on my bookshelf filled at last.

Tim

[mandy hall]

The other half brought me a pressie today Band of Brigands The Extraordinary Story of the First Men in Tanks by Christy Campbell a bargain for £2.99 from The Works. It will have to go on the pile for the moment though. Just finished reading Tunnel Master and Arsonist of the great War the Norton Griffiths Story by Tony Bridgland and Anne Morgan. I think you could quite easily make a film of his life.

Mandy

[bluedog]

About to start "Beneath Hill 60" by Will Davies.

On the shelf to coincide with the screening of the film in Australia.

Peter

[Robert Dunlop]

Prelude to Victory by Spears...

A fabulous book. I loved the way he tackled the issue of politicians versus military. Whatever you think about his conclusions, it raises lots of questions. Spears' observations about the effects of German occupation were deeply poignant.

Robert

[truthergw]

I am finally started on Bryn Hammond's Cambrai 1917. So far, so very good.

[rendellers]

I have just finished Three Day Road which was a Christmas gift. I wasn't sure about it as you can see from the fact its taken me seven months to start. That said I really enjoyed it and found the subject matter very refreshing and thought provoking. the cultural shifts for all concerned must have been massive

.

I was going to post a question but that would spoli the plot so I'll go elsewhwere for that!

[Tony Ring]

Recently picked up "The Great War" by Les Carlyon. 863 pages so I have some long nights ahead. Its an Aussie book and from what I can see its warts & all. Some good photographs and eye witness accounts.

Tony

[Waddell]

Am currently going through a Gallipoli stage and am on the down-hill run with John Hamilton's "Goodbye Cobber God Bless You". This is a good read on the men of the 8th Light Horse Regiment and the personalities and events that lead up to the fateful charge at the Nek. The author makes mention early on of a silver salver being presented to Lieutenant Ted Henty by the officers and men of the 8th on his wedding day, 18th November 1914. Thirty six men of the troop had their name engraved on the salver, of which only two would be alive one year after the wedding. A sobering picture amongst many in a detailed book.

Also came across an old copy of A P Herbert's "The Secret Battle" which I believe describes Gallipoli early on. Looking forward to that one.

Scott

[John(txic)]

Niall Ferguson's "The Pity of War": heavy going...

[CarylW]

Just finished reading a very enjoyable old book and I'm still not sure if it fiction or non-fiction, or if the character written about did exist (?) Not wholly Great War but Great War content

The Forester Ian Niall. Published in the 1970's, the cover is quite a work of art too. Blurb reads: "James Shaw's father and grandfather were foresters on great Scottish estates. James's own plan to stufy forestry were changed by the 1914-18 war in which he served with the Scots Guards. (he was wounded) At the end of the war Jim ran a pit-prop production centre in Wales (with Portugese members of the Labour Corps) and later became a timber advisor in the South of England. He joined the newly established Forestry Commission and planted the first conifers in the Conway valley area and eventually was in charge of the re-afforestation of eight Welsh counties (after the devastation of forests for timber in two world wars) for the Forestry Commission and was awarded an M.B.E". A very good read if you enjoy the countryside and in particular woodland with a bit of Great War thrown in!. Also bought "The Village Policeman" by the same author. Haven't come across any of his books before but think I'll try to get hold of all of them. The author himself was an interesting character, real name John McNeillie

Obituary Here

Also dipping into the very interesting (someone has a large collection of postcards!!) British Postcards of the First World War Peter Doyle

Just to pinch a bit of a review of the book on Amazon "Doyle's book shows how the card was used to reinforce morale, as a recruiting medium, to share experiences of the Home Front, and to make fun of the enemy" Yes, and a lot more besides...enjoyed it a lot. A must read for postcard collectors

Next to read is latest delivery Storm of Steel Ernst Junger. Noticed a few members quoting this book, thought it was time I read it!

Caryl

[27thBN]

About to start "Beneath Hill 60" by Will Davies.

On the shelf to coincide with the screening of the film in Australia.

Peter

Is it still on the theaters here ?? Its was released quite some time ago....

MC

[MartinWills]

Following on from our recent find of an LGOC B Type bus magneto in a local tool shop, i am currently reading Roy Larkins superb "Destination Western Front - London's Omnibuses go to war". There really are very few books on Great War MT and this one certainly helps fill a gap. Now if Johan Vollert could just be persuaded to do his book on German MT then that would be another space on my bookshelf filled at last.

Tim

I quite imagine that the magneto was a survivor from an ex-WD use bus as many of these were sold on and used as lorries, often by ex-servicemen looking for work after the war.

Can I recommend "The London B Type Omnibus (or is it bus)" by atkinson and another. Out of print for a few years it is an excellent volume. I would give you the full & accurate details but my copy is out on loan to a model-maker constructing a WW1 diorama and a model WW1 mobile pigeon loft.

[CarylW]

The other half brought me a pressie today Band of Brigands The Extraordinary Story of the First Men in Tanks by Christy Campbell a bargain for £2.99 from The Works. It will have to go on the pile for the moment though. Just finished reading Tunnel Master and Arsonist of the great War the Norton Griffiths Story by Tony Bridgland and Anne Morgan. I think you could quite easily make a film of his life.

Mandy

Mandy, I read Band of Brigands The Extraordinary Story of the First Men in Tanks by Christy Campbell, and found it fascinating from start to finish.

Could not put it down. Have you seen the forum thread about the book? Here

Some mixed views there and the author himself drops in

Caryl

[iain mchenry]

Just finished "Rolling into Action, The memoirs of a Tank Corps Section Commander" by Captain DE Hickey. Excellent read on the life of a WW1 Tankie. Well written and unable to put down.

I have just started "Crumps and Camouflets, Australian Tunnelling Companies on the Western Front." by Damien Finlayson. had to order it from Oz. Am about a third of the way through it and cant put it down either. Really enjoyable read so far. It is far better than Will Davies recent book on 1st Australian Tunnelling Coy and Oliver Woodward, which I thought was quite dissapointing.

Regards

Iain

[MartinWills]

I'm tackling bits of Holle's diary of his time in the German Army at Vauquois - an interesting read albeit in French

[r larkin]

I quite imagine that the magneto was a survivor from an ex-WD use bus as many of these were sold on and used as lorries, often by ex-servicemen looking for work after the war.

Can I recommend "The London B Type Omnibus (or is it bus)" by atkinson and another. Out of print for a few years it is an excellent volume. I would give you the full & accurate details but my copy is out on loan to a model-maker constructing a WW1 diorama and a model WW1 mobile pigeon loft.

The LGOC bought back all the B-types deemed worth re-patriating (about 10% of those sent to France) and returned the salvageable ones to work themselves. The book by Robbins and Atkinson is very good regarding the B-type but the chapters on the B-type's wartime use should come with a large pinch of salt.

[mandy hall]

Yes Caryl I had a quick nosey around the forum for reviews on the book, might be next on the list to read when I have finished latest finds from the library. If I could stay away from the library I may get some of my own library read.

Mandy

[27thBN]

British Military Intelligence in the Palestine Campaign 1914-1918, by Yigal Sheffy.

A great account of the intelligence war against Turkey.Top read.

MC

[ulsterlad2]

Picked up 1914 by Lyn Macdonald yesterday in Belfast.

Used but in good condition. Can't be bad for a few pounds.

[rendellers]

I have just finished Sebastian Barry's A Long Long Way. Mind you it was my second attempt and I still found it a 'hard' read but I became riveted by Barry's decription of the fronts and fighting. The horror of war seen through one man's eyes but then with a supporting cast of characters defined by moments in time. Hugely thought provoking.

[Robert Dunlop]

'Defeat in Detail: The Ottoman Army in the Balkans, 1912-1913' by Eric Erickson. A fascinating insight into the last major series of battles before WW1.

Robert

[menright]

Having a time of it getting through the latter half of William Philpott's 'Bloody Victory'. Picked up Sidney Rogerson's "Twelve Days on the Somme". A very engaging introduction by Martin Brown and so far, a very engaging and quite atypical style of writing from the author, especially as it was written in the 1930s amidst other quite strong literary currents.

Completed Prior and Wilson's "the Somme". I was a little underwhelmed by the opening chapters. Their 'zoning' of the armies into stages from the frontline to the rear is nevertheless something I found very helpful. Like Les Carlyon's "Great War" it is quite a drawn-out account and something of an endurance test.

Michael

[bswan]

Finished 'All Quiet on the Western Front' I had watched the original film many years ago but had never read the book before now.

As has doubtless been said many times before, this book is a 'must read'. It asks a lot of questions about the point of the conflict from the perspective of an ordinary soldier. Many of the questions that they book asks of the reader have contemporary relevance and any romantic notions of war are quickly dispelled.