5 replies to this topic

[Phil_B]

A WW1 novel I`m reading (To The Last Man by an American author, Jeff Shaara) has British soldiers in 1915 using the expression "Heinie" for German soldiers. The expression apparently dates from 1904, being a shortening of Heinz or Heinrich, but I don`t think I`ve come across its use by the British. Was it strictly American or possibly Canadian?

[centurion]

Brophie and Partridge in 'The Long Trail' define it as an American and Canadian alternative to Jerry. It could be spelt Heine,Hienie or Hiney.

[Mark Hone]

I don't think that Mr Shaara did his research very carefully. The book told a fair old pounding on publication on this side of the pond and the concensus was that he should have stuck to the American Civil War. See for example this thread http://1914-1918.inv...2280&hl=Rubbish and the excoriating reviews on British Amazon.  I notice that one of the quoted encomiums for the book on Amazon is by our old chum John Mosier, subject of a thousand diatribes on this Forum. 'nuff said! Shaara makes no attempt as far as I recall to have British soldiers speak or behave as British servicemen.

[centurion]

Mark Hone, on 23 July 2012 - 04:32 PM, said:

Shaara makes no attempt as far as I recall to have British soldiers speak or behave as British servicemen.

Doubtless Hollywood will find him a job as a screenwriter then.

[Phil_B]

I quite agree - Shaara should have stuck to the USCW. I enjoyed his (& his dad`s) books on that war but I wonder now if his attempts at USCW speak were realistic or just assumed to be like modern speak.
Maybe the sections on the Escadrille Lafayette and the USMC in WW1 will prove to be better - I haven`t got there yet.

[centurion]

Phil_B, on 23 July 2012 - 05:59 PM, said:

I quite agree - Shaara should have stuck to the USCW. I enjoyed his (& his dad`s) books on that war but I wonder now if his attempts at USCW speak were realistic or just assumed to be like modern speak.

Indeed I wonder how many historical novels really get the dialogue right. Would a real Rhett Butler ever have said "Quite frankly my dear ..................."? I think that the late Partick O'Brian got it right in his Jack Aubery series for his dialogue does match that used in Captain Marryat's naval novels (and he served as a midshipman with Cochrane upon whom Aubery [not to mention Hornblower] is partly based). However if you look at some of Ambrose Bierce's ACW short stories his dialogue rings different from Shaara's (fils and pere). There is certainly enough WW1 material around not to excuse getting it wrong.