34 replies to this topic

[khaki]

Is there a particular part of the Great War that has escaped the pen of the author's. I tried to think of one without much success. any suggestions?
khaki

[seaJane]

I am ready (indeed would be glad!) to be corrected, but it seems to me that there's not as much as there might be about the Royal Navy in the Great War.

[munster]

I look out for pieces on the home life of every day people during the war and i think hard to come by.john

[skipman]

A study of 'the Derby scheme' would be very useful, and I would buy it.

Cheers Mike

[seadog]

As Munster rightly says the story of the civilians in France and Belgium during and after the war plus the reconstruction and resettlement of the devastated areas. There are a few books from 1919 dealing with this subject bur as far as I am aware nothing more recent.

Norman

[Michelle Young]

Norman
There is a book written by Helen McPhail published 1999 called The Long Silence, Civilain Life Under German Occupation of Northern France 1914-1918.

Was expensive when I got hold of it probably well out of print now sadly.


Whats not needed? Now thats a subject for debate!

Michelle

[trenchfoot]

Living in a seaside town myself I know what an important role fishermen played but many fishing fleets were decimated  by the war and many boats (therefore livelihoods) were destroyed or sunk. This merits further investigation.

[Chris_Baker]

1918.
1915.
Anywhere that is not the Somme or Ypres.
Units that are not pals or TF battalions.
The artillery.
Logistics and supply.

[khaki]

I really enjoy militaria books (Great War) that show, with plenty of photographs, not only military equipment but personal items as well, . I do own many fine publications on German equipment, but they do not include the personal items that interest me. If one does exist please let me know.
khaki

[conner]

seadog, on 09 February 2012 - 09:05 AM, said:

As Munster rightly says the story of the civilians in France and Belgium during and after the war plus the reconstruction and resettlement of the devastated areas. There are a few books from 1919 dealing with this subject bur as far as I am aware nothing more recent.

Norman

I would certainly agree.  Books concerning the aftermath in France and Belgium have generally only touched the surface.  I am sure there is no shortage of diaries and accounts involving both the local population, soldiers involved in the gruesome task of recovering the dead and the many pilgrims in the years following.

[PMHart]

We need books on the campaigns of 1914 - without the pathetic jingoism relating to both sides which infects the exisiting output, more books on all of 1915 (except Gallipoli!) and all of 1918.

Also could do with far more on the French campaigns throughout. Not general overviews, but full accounts in English for the battles, which, after all, clearly dwarf the British contribution in the first two years of the war.

I think we need more on the Battle of Arras, Mesopotamia and Salonika! More biographies on key generals!

Before you pick up your pens, getting books commissioned at the moment is a nightmare!

Pete

[davidfegga]

2nd Battle of The Marne. The turning point of the war.

[skipman]

I have never done this but, wonder if this is worth considering?

Lulu self publish

Mike

[Chris_Baker]

It works well, Mike. I produced a limited edition run of my MA dissertation by using Lulu. The process was simple, the quality of the hardback product OK (not brilliant, but you can probably upgrade the materials etc). Lulu takes quite a big cut of the income, as you would perhaps expect. It is certainly a way to go for publishing specialist work to the world of e-readers.

[skipman]

Many thanks Chris. I will have a good look at it. Might be a good way of publishing something for a small, local project?

Cheers Mike

[SWorrall]

PMHart, on 10 February 2012 - 08:53 AM, said:

We need books on the campaigns of 1914 - without the pathetic jingoism relating to both sides which infects the exisiting output, more books on all of 1915 (except Gallipoli!) and all of 1918.

Also could do with far more on the French campaigns throughout. Not general overviews, but full accounts in English for the battles, which, after all, clearly dwarf the British contribution in the first two years of the war.

I think we need more on the Battle of Arras, Mesopotamia and Salonika! More biographies on key generals!

Before you pick up your pens, getting books commissioned at the moment is a nightmare!

Pete

Dr. Sheldon's recent volume on the Germans at Ypres was a most welcome addition to the publications about 1914.
Refreshingly free of the jingoism that you refer to.

The operational history of 1915 is yet to be written, that's a gaping hole in the historiography.
And you have to agree with Peter's comment about the French side. Although those volumes do not really exist in French either. Their national knowledge of WW1, and the academic base to propel it, is pitiful.

Peter; if someone as renowned as yourself, in the run-up to the centenary, is finding it a nightmare, what chance the rest of us?
What, indeed, is the market at the moment? More endless volumes of personal reminiscences?

Simon.

[nthornton19179]

The female snipers of Gallipoli

German machine-gunners chained to their gun

Neil

[80th division]

1915

More in english about Austria-Hungary, though this would probably be of limited interest.

A comprehensive work on the role of the ASC. Again, perhaps of limited interest but the war could not have been fought and won without them.

[blackmaria]

If they are of the same quality as "Blood and Iron" i would like to see more personal reminiscences please!.

[Marco]

Considering the price I recently paid for a 1996 book about post-war battlefield clearance I vote for that subject.

Regards,

Marco

[PJA]

The "token" contingents on the Western Front :

The Portuguese in the Lys sector , April 1918.

The Russians who were deployed in the Nivelle Offensive

The Italians who fought in Second Marne

Phil (PJA)

[healdav]

Michelle Young, on 09 February 2012 - 02:55 PM, said:

Whats not needed? Now thats a subject for debate!

Michelle

PLEASE. No more books about the Somme. All that is missing is "my colouring book" (can't think how that one has been missed).

[Chris_Baker]

PJA, on 11 February 2012 - 10:18 AM, said:

...

The Portuguese in the Lys sector , April 1918.

....

Phil (PJA)

I spy someone who has not bought my book, then!

[PJA]

Chris_Baker, on 11 February 2012 - 03:12 PM, said:

I spy someone who has not bought my book, then!

OH YES I DID !  ...and from you, personally, at the GWFC last year .

Your account of what happened to those Portuguese whetted my appetite to find out more.

Phil (PJA)

[Perth Digger]

Unwritten books I'd like to read (or, if they have been written, I'm ignorant of them):
1. modern histories of the Guards regiments
2. history of the War Office
3. study of the development (if any) of the role of battalion commanders in the field and their influence
4. more books using statistics (especially grappling with casualty figures)