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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

What WW1 books are you reading?


andigger

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Lucky you! I had a copy some time ago, but it has vanished, i know not where, and although there is , apparently, a reprint available from Pen & Sword, it seems to be permanently out of stock.

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I am reading "War, Memory, and the Politics of Humor -- the Canard Enchaîné and World War One". An interesting subject for a career journalist who enjoys reading the Canard -- which has still kept a number of its features almost 100 years since its founding -- but the author,a university professor from Indiana, annoys me by translating French terms into American equivalents, so that poilu becomes doughboy and boche becomes kraut. The readers of this somewhat esoteric book should know what the French words mean. I'd also like to see more of the original quotes from the Canard instead of translations.

cheers Martin B

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Thanks MB for an interesting clue. Time to research something I've never heard of!

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I'm reading 'On the Road to Kut' by 'Black Tab'. It's a fine account of the campaign in Mesopotamia with lots of superb photos. Being published in 1917 the author doesn't give away many personal details. I'm guessing he's a middle-ranking officer but does anyone know the author's name or which unit he was in?

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I'm reading 'On the Road to Kut' by 'Black Tab'. It's a fine account of the campaign in Mesopotamia with lots of superb photos. Being published in 1917 the author doesn't give away many personal details. I'm guessing he's a middle-ranking officer but does anyone know the author's name or which unit he was in?

According to an old T.D catalogue he was a regular officer of the Indian Army Supply & Transport Corps with the original 1914 expeditionary force (6th Indian Div), but he

gives no real name for the author.

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Hello. This is my first post. Hope I'm not breaking protocols...."Current reading :

"official history, gallipoli, part 2" in conjunction with,

"the fifty second (lowland) 1914-1918" rr thomson and "the royal scots 1914- 1918" major john ewing.

just got "the great war seen from the air in flanders fields, 1914-1918" by stichelaut/chielens which is as amazing as it is informatory

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Hello. This is my first post. Hope I'm not breaking protocols...."Current reading :

"official history, gallipoli, part 2" in conjunction with,

"the fifty second (lowland) 1914-1918" rr thomson and "the royal scots 1914- 1918" major john ewing.

just got "the great war seen from the air in flanders fields, 1914-1918" by stichelaut/chielens which is as amazing as it is informatory

From a Bear to a Cat: Welcome !!

Enjoy the reading and keep us posted on more!!

I'll have time to read again once monday's test is passed... some some titles piled up at home!!

MM.

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From a Bear to a Cat: Welcome !!

Enjoy the reading and keep us posted on more!!

I'll have time to read again once monday's test is passed... some some titles piled up at home!!

MM.

thank you. This forum is excellent. Wish I'd found it ages ago.... The other book I'm always perusing is "The Great War" text by Piet Chielens, published by Hannibal. It has the Lijssenthoek Triptych (2011) It still brings tears....

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So... now that the offensive exam has passed and I successfully (me thinks... waiting for the points) defended my C2 and Eng solution, I have prepared the following readings on my desk, to replace the tactic books:

A.P. HERBERT's The Secret Battle ; Len SMITH's Drawing Fire and J. HAYWARTH's Myths and legends of the First world War.

I'll also find some time to type out the notes on the BBC documentaries of last week and those of Harrison's The medical War and Sir Basil Liddell Hart's history... No way I'll get bored the next weeks, but at least in fun work!!

MM.

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So... now that the offensive exam has passed and I successfully (me thinks... waiting for the points) defended my C2 and Eng solution, I have prepared the following readings on my desk, to replace the tactic books:

A.P. HERBERT's The Secret Battle ; Len SMITH's Drawing Fire and J. HAYWARTH's Myths and legends of the First world War.

I'll also find some time to type out the notes on the BBC documentaries of last week and those of Harrison's The medical War and Sir Basil Liddell Hart's history... No way I'll get bored the next weeks, but at least in fun work!!

MM.

Well done on finishing exams Marilyne: always a good feeling! If you want to keep the feel good factor going for a while however I suggest you read the three books you've named in reverse order!!

David

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Well done on finishing exams Marilyne: always a good feeling! If you want to keep the feel good factor going for a while however I suggest you read the three books you've named in reverse order!!

David

:wacko::wacko: So bad???

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So bad???

No not bad at all, Secret Battle is a brilliant book. However it is soooo depressing. I know our shared obsession is never exactly a barrel of laughs but there is depressing and there is depressing and trust me this is depressing :(

Myths and legends is entertaining and lightweight, Drawing Fire especially the hardback is just a beautiful book to handle and read/look at, and then gird your loins for Herbert :thumbsup:

David

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Finished "Hell on Earth" by F. Haydn-Hornsey, a superb memoir of an eighteen year old conscript who is thrown into the hell of the German Spring Offensive of

April 1918. I really enjoyed reading this book and I reckon it would make the basis of a good feature film.

Just finished reading this same book & I just want to concur with Blackmaria as to what a superb book it is. Maybe it's the raw quality of the writing but it certainly grabs you by the throat and drags you along with it. Thinking of starting a thread on books that should be republished for the Centenary - this should be high on the list.

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Just got 'The First World War' by Hew Strachan to add to the reading pile. Any good?

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Jolly good! Currently selling in The Works for a bargain £2.99.

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Weren't there plans by Strachan for additional volumes? Anybody know status if so?

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Half way through KE Luard's 'Unknown Warriors' and David Rorie's ' A Medico's Luck in the War' lined up for a re-read after that.

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Weren't there plans by Strachan for additional volumes? Anybody know status if so?

The book on sale in the Works is Strachan's one volume history of the war. In addition he is writing a 'definitive' three volume history at the behest of the Oxford University Press. The first volume came out over a decade ago, titled 'Call to Arms'. One would have thought volume 2 should be along fairly soon!

David

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The book on sale in the Works is Strachan's one volume history of the war. In addition he is writing a 'definitive' three volume history at the behest of the Oxford University Press. The first volume came out over a decade ago, titled 'Call to Arms'. One would have thought volume 2 should be along fairly soon!

David

Strange: the OUP is currently flagging "To Arms", billed as "The distinguished historian's study of the causes of the war and of its opening months", to be published in April 2014. Seems to be a new paperback edition at a stiff £25. Also due next month is a new edition of the one-volume work, with "four completely new chapters and dozens of new photographs." This is a hardback, also at £25. Guess that's how The Works can sell off the earlier edition cheaply.

Cheers Martin B

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I was under the impression that due to pressure of other work, the remaining volumes of the multipart work had been put on the back burner for an indefinite period.

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I was under the impression that due to pressure of other work, the remaining volumes of the multipart work had been put on the back burner for an indefinite period.

Paul

Well that makes sense. A thirteen year gap certainly suggests as much!

David

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I think perhaps there's a mix up here? 'The First World War' Hew Strachan that was on sale in the Works is I think, the single volume, stand alone book. This one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-First-World-War-History/dp/074323961X

'The First World War: To Arms' Hew Strachan, is the first of a planned three volume set of books. I have this one and it's a massive tome. This is the same cover as mine but later editions have a different cover.

http://www.tower.com/first-world-war-volume-i-arms-hew-strachan-paperback/wapi/100854129

Bought mine a few years ago and I was looking forward to the other two but that book alone must have taken an enormous amount of work and perhaps the other two have been shelved in favour of the condensed single volume?

I've asked a few times on the forum but no-one seems to know anything.

Edit: Actually, I think I've repeated what David posted earlier!

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