David Ridgus Posted 8 January , 2014 Share Posted 8 January , 2014 'Cheerful Sacrifice' by Jonathan Nicholls. Thanks Jonathan. Another part of the battlefields I now need to visit. Time to check the frequent flyers account…and do lotto.. I love that book. My fascination with Arras was fired by it and it retains an honoured place on the bookcase David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 8 January , 2014 Share Posted 8 January , 2014 I agree re Cheerful Sacrifice. For along time it was all there was on Arras and sparked my interest and led to me visiting ever since I put the book down. TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillEll Posted 8 January , 2014 Share Posted 8 January , 2014 "Citizen Soldiers" By Helen B McCartney. Story of the Territorial Forces that became the Kings Liverpool Regiment and the effects on the men who served. A differing view ? An excellent and perceptive read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 8 January , 2014 Share Posted 8 January , 2014 "Citizen Soldiers" By Helen B McCartney. Story of the Territorial Forces that became the Kings Liverpool Regiment and the effects on the men who served. A differing view ? An excellent and perceptive read. When my daughter was at Birmingham Jonathan Boff warmly recommended this book to her as her dissertation was on morale. She said it was one of the best she read in her three years there, she enthuses about it to this day David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillEll Posted 10 January , 2014 Share Posted 10 January , 2014 A perfect choice of reference for just such a subject,David. In my head I have a song that hauntingly reminds me of what I am reading about here !. "If you want the old Battalion,we know where they are, they're 'angin' on the old barbed wire" A very thought provoking tome ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 11 January , 2014 Share Posted 11 January , 2014 When my daughter was at Birmingham Jonathan Boff warmly recommended this book to her as her dissertation was on morale. She said it was one of the best she read in her three years there, she enthuses about it to this day David I'm not surprised David. 'Citizen Soldiers The Liverpool Territorials in The First World war' is an excellent, well written and thoroughly researched book. I refer back to it often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajaxer Posted 12 January , 2014 Share Posted 12 January , 2014 Most recently I have read 'Catastrophe' and 'Public Schools and the Great War'. But a book that is taking a long time to get through, because I keep putting it down to read WW1 books, is 'Dominion' by CJ Sansom. The novel is based on postwar (WW2) Britain in the 1950s "after Britain had surrendered to Nazi Germany after Dunkirk". And a good story it is too. I am wondering, is there any similar novel set in Britain after the Great War, based on the fiction of a German victory? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 12 January , 2014 Share Posted 12 January , 2014 Tank warfare. The story of tanks in the Great war by F.Mitchell MC. Plus I picked up Conanvent of death for a quid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Bennitt Posted 13 January , 2014 Share Posted 13 January , 2014 Finished 'From Mons to Loos: the diary of a supply officer '.An interesting book , the author being a supply officer during the early months of the war and later being promoted to the Staff .It makes you realise what a difficult task it was trying to keep the B.E.F supplied during the early weeks of the war and the Great Retreat, when units were mixed up and the Germans were never far behind. The Chapter on the Battle of La Bassee and the capture by the Germans of Neuve Chapelle I found of interest as it is not covered in that many memoirs, unlike the First Battle of Ypres. The 1915 period is dealt with a bit more generally as the author was on the staff by that time and not directly involved, there is however a chapter by the authors brother on the German flame thrower attack at Hooge or rather the counter attack afterwards in which he took part (he was an officer). Although there was quite a bit of propaganda , as you would expect from a book that was published in 1916, I found it an interesting and informative memoir. Just finished this after reading your recommendation and downloading it. As you say, his comments are very much of their time but his account is interesting and informative. I'm now reading another from the Virtual Library, 'The Tank Corps' by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. cheers Martin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Maria Posted 16 January , 2014 Share Posted 16 January , 2014 Just finished 'With my Regiment: From the Aisne to La Bassee' by 'Platoon Commander'( Arthur F.H Mills), I found it a very interesting and well written account of the authors experiences as a subaltern in the 1st D.C.L.I (5 Div).A reserve officer, he arrives at his battalion at the tail end of the battle of the Aisne and is wounded at the Battle of La Bassee a month later. I found it interesting that on the way up to the front the author was thinking of removing his Sam Brown belt and replacing it with webbing as he had heard that Officers had been picked off by German snipers, he also obtained a rifle during an advance to be less conspicuous and was advised to remove his burberry for the same reason. As the book was written during the war place names have been omitted and regimental names changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Jacket Collector Posted 16 January , 2014 Share Posted 16 January , 2014 Just finished 'With my Regiment: From the Aisne to La Bassee' by 'Platoon Commander'( Arthur F.H Mills), . Part of that excellent series from Heinemann 'Soldier's Tales of the Great War' of which I think there were 13 volumes. It included the first appearance of Paul Lintier's 'My 75', another good read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bellflower Posted 17 January , 2014 Share Posted 17 January , 2014 Postman Pat has just delivered this selection ; When I Join The Ranks by "The Major " 4th Div Trench Orders Quick Training For War by Baden Powell An Officers Manual Western Front by Stephen Bull Detained In England by Chapman & Moss Less than £20 the lot from TNA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marilyne Posted 17 January , 2014 Share Posted 17 January , 2014 Right now writing 6 X 4 analyses...ses... how do you say that... tactics... whatever... so keeping it easy with Bénédicte de Mazery's excellent "La Vie Tranchée". It's a novel about a soldier who gets "la fine blessure" and is then put at work at the postal triage center, where he has to read and censor letters from and to the front. doing this, he tries to come to terms with his own experience at the front line. It's brilliantly written and touches a subject not so common in general WWI littérature. Oh, and ... if you want to have a good laugh on behalf of us poor Belgians, take a look at this... this young lady was a candidate for Miss Belgium ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5K49ZLxQdk MM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Maria Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 Just finished reading 'Hospital Days' by 'Platoon Commander', his follow up book which tells of his time after he was wounded up until he receives his wound stripe. Luckily for him he narrowly escaped being captured by the Germans after his wounding for I doubt he would have received such excellent care and treatment from them as he did from his own side. For an account by an Officer who was wounded and captured by the Germans during the same period there is a very good account called 'Wounded and a Prisoner of War' by M.V Hay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill24chev Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 Just read "Six Weeks" a bit disapointed because much of it seems to be a rehash of the bits relating to junior offficers (Subalterns and Captains) in Richard Holmes "Tommy" many quotes and anecdotes are repeated. It only cost me £2.99 so can't realy complain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hastings Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 Just started 'Return of the Brute' by Liam O'Flaherty, ex Irish Guardsman shell shocked in 1917. Captivating from the very opening: planned to just look at the first couple of paragraphs when it first arrived, as was yet to finish another book, and before I knew it I'd read 20 odd pages. Without even looking into O'Flaherty's past, you can tell from the off that he was a veteran and experienced what he writes. Good copy, very cheap from Amazon, can see this being a quick but memorable read. Good reading all Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawley Jockey Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 Have literally just arrived home from work to find my new book has arrived; From Emmanuel to the Somme (The war writings of A.E.Tomlinson) by Michael Copp Up to about three weeks ago had never heard of this book even though Tomlinson served as an officer with the 8th Battalion South Staffs on two separate occasions. I am looking forward to reading it, has anyone else read it... Thoughts ? Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverFox100 Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 Just completed 'The Mons Star' by David Ascoli. An excellent read full of detail regarding the BEF and from early August until November. So much information in this book about what I was looking for, the first few months of WW1. I must have read this book twice with the amount of information to take in. Would recommend to anyone who is interested in the BEF early days. Up until now I hadn't really realised that come the end of November virtually the initial force no longer existed. I am now reding, same theme, 'The Old Contemptibles' by Robin Neillands, which I can say is another excellent book. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest exuser1 Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 Just getting in to Peter Harts The Great War bargin at the Works £5.99 great to dip in to a super read Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 The War that Ended Peace - Margaret MacMillan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 The War that Ended Peace - Margaret MacMillan Have just been invited to a dinner March 27th in Vancouver at which she will be the guest speaker. Since such events are not common occurrences in Western Canada, i am sorry for once that i will unfortunately be in Scotland at the time. Have not read the book but may buy it, as the reviews I have read look good. Hazel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 The War that Ended Peace - Margaret MacMillan Great book, but unless you have a lot of spare time I will look forward to your review about May! David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 Just started 'Return of the Brute' by Liam O'Flaherty, ex Irish Guardsman shell shocked in 1917. Captivating from the very opening: planned to just look at the first couple of paragraphs when it first arrived, as was yet to finish another book, and before I knew it I'd read 20 odd pages. Without even looking into O'Flaherty's past, you can tell from the off that he was a veteran and experienced what he writes. Good copy, very cheap from Amazon, can see this being a quick but memorable read. Good reading all Jim I warn you now Jim, that is not an easy read. I will be very interested to hear what you think about it, especially the ending David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 28 January , 2014 Share Posted 28 January , 2014 Great book, but unless you have a lot of spare time I will look forward to your review about May! David Good one David. I have it through Audible.co.uk, downloaded to my iPad. Narration time is 32 hours, 31 minutes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marilyne Posted 29 January , 2014 Share Posted 29 January , 2014 just as a bedstand book throughout the tests offensive, reading "With French at the Front". Not highly litterary, but OK... As soon as I've finished attacking, I'll start with Liddell Hart's "History"... looking forward to it. MM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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