1536 replies to this topic

[MartinBennitt]

I have Rhodes James on my bookshelf, and must admit he put me off reading Moorehead. Even so, I thought it was all right at the time. You could always try 'the other Hart book', which he wrote with one Nigel Steel. Enjoy your trip

cheers Martin B

[Steven Broomfield]

On a political note, R R-J was my MP in Cambridge in the 80's, and I met him a couple of times. I quite liked him on a personal level (we never discussed Gallipoli), and he was the only politician I ever met who refused to undertake any campaigning whatever on a Sunday! He was also a renowned "wet" in the days of Mrs T.

On-topic (why not?), I am just nearing the end of Vol 8 of Anglesey's British Cavalry (dealing with the Western Front 1915-18 and the aftermath, up to mechanisation). Utterly superb work, all through. I shall have a rest and start on Volume 1 in a few weeks (from the end of the Napoleonic wars). In the meantime I shall have a complete rest from Great War and military history entirely, and catch up on this year's Wisden.

[hazel clark]

Currently almost finished Middlebrook's "The Kaiser's Battle" which appears to be a fairly balanced account of the German 21st March 1918 offensive.  it is interesting to look at the battle from varying points of view. I wish there were something comparable on third Ypres.  Having recently read Wolffe's "In Flander's Fields", I am now going to re-read the Prior and Wilson version to see how the modern analysis compares.
Hazel C

[1st east yorks]

2/3rds through Mons,The retreat to victory by John Terraine.

[TRAJAN]

I am just about to start on D.Welsby, "Sudan's First Railway: the Gordon Relief Expedition and the Dongola Campaign" (Sudan Archaeological Res. Soc., 2011). It's relevance to WWI is - inter alia - the excellent series of plans of tent lines plus plates showing weaponry and other metalwork in use by a British army in the 1870's and 1890's (Gordon Relief and Dongola campaign), and which I suspect (tent lines in particular) was still in use in the early 20th.

Trajan

[blackmaria]

Just finished "Going Across" extracts from the letters and diary of Lieutenant M. St Helier Evans.A very interesting account by an intelligent and articulate young officer of the 9th Welch Regiment.Starting in April 1916 with his return to France after being wounded and ending with his capture at the Aisne in May 1918.A scarce book to find but well worth reading.

[MartinBennitt]

I am into 'Digging the Trenches, the Archaeology of the Western Front' by Andrew Robertson and David Kenyon, which I bought from Andy at the GWF conference this year. I shall probably follow it with a French book on the same theme, 'L'archéologie de la Grande Guerre' by Yves Desfossés, Alain Jacques and Gilles Prilaux, published by Editions Ouest-France and Inrap (Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives).

cheers Martin B

[Andrew Upton]

MartinBennitt, on 03 June 2012 - 10:04 AM, said:

...by Andrew Robertson and David Kenyon...

Ahem, that would be Andrew Robertshaw...

[MartinBennitt]

Andrew Upton, on 03 June 2012 - 04:33 PM, said:

Ahem, that would be Andrew Robertshaw...

Quite so, my apologies to the gentleman. It in no way alters my good opinion of his book

cheers Martin B

[MartinBennitt]

I''m now reading the much praised "Now All Roads Lead to France, the last years of Edward Thomas," by Matthew Hollis. So far so very good

cheers Martin B

[the ibis]

The Neck of the Bottle: George W. Goethals and the Reorganization of the U.S. Army Supply System, 1917-1918
by Phyllis A. Zimmerman
ISBN-10: 080965153

So far, so good. The discussion about the debates between Goethals and Denman (head of the Emergency Fleet Corporation) over building wooden ships was well done, if slightly short.

[WilliamRev]

I'm Just back from five days on the Somme with my brother, and I will post a review of our trip elsewhere on the Forum soon. I wanted to mention how incredibly good and useful was "Somme 1916, a battlefield companion" by Gerald Gliddon. I'm sure many (most?) people on the forum have this book, but in case anyone hasn't then let me recommend it to you.

It has 550 pages and weighs 3 lb on my kitchen scales, so it tended to stay in the car rather than in my rucksack. It is a gazetteer, and is alphabetical by place, giving a very detailed account of the role played by each village, town, wood or geographical feature in 1916.

I found myself coming back to this book again and again over the five days, and of particular use were the day-by-day account of the weather, and the complete lists of allied Divisions broken down into brigades, battalions, batteries etc. (and a list of German Divisions broken down into regiments). Priced at £18.99 I bought mine rather cheaper on Amazon (using the now hidden Great War Forum link of course).

William

[DavidB]

Hav e just finished reading a book called ''Backs to the Wall''  by G. D. Mitchell MC DCM, an auto biography first published in 1937 and reprinted 2007.

He was a member of the 48th Bn A.I.F. and the book was compiled around his diaries that he kept during his 4 and 1/2 years away from home. A Gallipoli

veteran as well he navigated the battlefields of France basically without getting a scratch. One of the best books I have ever read of wartime experiences.

I picked up this version in the local library and unfortunately will have to return it.

[hazel clark]

I am reading a book that I almost didn't read because of it's title.  It is called "Unknown Soldiers" "The story of the missing of the Somme", by Neil Hanson.  I am so glad that I decided to read it anyway.  It follows the war careers of a British infantryman, a German infantryman and an American aviator, all of whom were killed in the area of the Somme at different times.  It is written based on their letters and diaries but encompasses a lot of extraneous information about the war which I have not seen elsewhere.  I think it is the best account I have read anywhere about the conditions and feelings of participants and I haven't realy liked the  "anecdotal" books I have read.

I had just finished Terraine's book on 1918, "To Win a War" and the difference in opinion about the commanders is striking. Terraine seems to support most of what Haig did whereas Hanson is quite condemnatory. In one instance, on page 166, Hanson stated that in March 1918, a Lt. Col. Hutchinson, in order to "stiffen" his men, had 38 of 40 men who were surrendering to the enemy shot as an example. Some of the stats. in Hanson's book seem a bit different also. He states that during the French mutiny, thousands of courts martial were held, resulting in the execution of 432 men.  He further states that 250 men were deliberately blown up by their own artillery and mutiny leaders were sent to the front and penal colonies. He also mentions that the average monthly casualty rate for the British was 75000 in 1918.  That is the highest of any year of the war.  I had expected that 1916 or 1917 would have been higher.

Anyway,I could waffle on for ever but it is a very good read, and I am three quarters of  the way through it.

Hazel C.

[seaJane]

I re-read after a gap of about 20 years, Nevil Shute's "The Rainbow and the Rose" (fiction) and had forgotten till then that one thread of the narrative is told by a RFC pilot in the Great War. It's not great great literature, maybe, but a damn good read - Shute is always good on flying.

[Chris_Baker]

hazel clark, on 26 June 2012 - 02:58 AM, said:

Hanson stated that in March 1918, a Lt. Col. Hutchinson, in order to "stiffen" his men, had 38 of 40 men who were surrendering to the enemy shot as an example.

What tosh.

hazel clark, on 26 June 2012 - 02:58 AM, said:

He also mentions that the average monthly casualty rate for the British was 75000 in 1918.  That is the highest of any year of the war.  

Principally because of the vast numbers taken as POWs in March to May 1918.

[hazel clark]

Chris_Baker, on 26 June 2012 - 12:08 PM, said:

What tosh

The reason I quoted it was because I wondered if someone would come along and refute it. I personally don't know enough about it to know.   There are a number of bits like that which I had never heard of elsewhere. I like the book though.

H.C.

[seaforths]

Have just finished reading The Escape of a Princess Pat by George Pearson. Published in 1918 tells of Cpl Edwards capture, imprisonment and escape. A very good book I would recommend - particularly if anyone has an interest in the Canadians at Polygon Wood and Ypres or how POWs were treated. It highlights the difficulties the Red Cross had and how the prisoners were afraid to complain because they were afraid of reprisals from their captors. The circumstances behind his capture was shocking and their treatment as POWs horrendous too. Difficult to say much more without spoiling it - it isn't a work of fiction it is a recount. It also touches on the story of the Canadian Crucifixion and how fast the story spread at the time, as he was captured just after the alleged incident had occurred. For a free download as an epub or pdf, it is well worth a read.
Marjorie

[DavidB]

Just finished reading another ripper yarn that I couldn't put down. It was called Zeebrugge by Barrie Pitt and describes the action in and around that

town on 23 April 1918. The object was to sink blockships in the mouth of the canal to stop U-boats and destroyers based in Bruges using the port

facilities to access the English Channel. A gripping story. Pick up the paper back for 4 bucks (about 1.70 GBP) at a book fair. Well worth a read.

[khaki]

I have just purchased a first edition (1959) of "Unknown Soldiers by one of them" the non fiction story of a Canadian Veteran of 43 years service including the Great War. Looks to be a very good read, Will let you know in due course.

regards
khaki

[1st east yorks]

Retreat and rearguard 1914 by Jerry Murland
Anthony

[Chris_Baker]

"Joffrey's war", a memoir edited by John Bourne and Bob Bushaway. Simply stunning. I am about to write a review.

[seaforths]

hazel clark, on 26 June 2012 - 02:58 AM, said:

I am reading a book that I almost didn't read because of it's title.  It is called "Unknown Soldiers" "The story of the missing of the Somme", by Neil Hanson.  I am so glad that I decided to read it anyway.  It follows the war careers of a British infantryman, a German infantryman and an American aviator, all of whom were killed in the area of the Somme at different times.  It is written based on their letters and diaries but encompasses a lot of extraneous information about the war which I have not seen elsewhere.  I think it is the best account I have read anywhere about the conditions and feelings of participants and I haven't realy liked the  "anecdotal" books I have read.

I had just finished Terraine's book on 1918, "To Win a War" and the difference in opinion about the commanders is striking. Terraine seems to support most of what Haig did whereas Hanson is quite condemnatory. In one instance, on page 166, Hanson stated that in March 1918, a Lt. Col. Hutchinson, in order to "stiffen" his men, had 38 of 40 men who were surrendering to the enemy shot as an example. Some of the stats. in Hanson's book seem a bit different also. He states that during the French mutiny, thousands of courts martial were held, resulting in the execution of 432 men.  He further states that 250 men were deliberately blown up by their own artillery and mutiny leaders were sent to the front and penal colonies. He also mentions that the average monthly casualty rate for the British was 75000 in 1918.  That is the highest of any year of the war.  I had expected that 1916 or 1917 would have been higher.

Anyway,I could waffle on for ever but it is a very good read, and I am three quarters of  the way through it.

Hazel C.

Interesting books - regarding 'To Win a War' some of these might be verified/refuted by a visit to the following website - it has some information on French, German, Canadian forces too: http://www.shotatdawn.info/

[Tony Ring]

Hazel

I am actually reading that book (Unknown Soldiers) now.   For the second time.    A rather sobering account of the fighting around the Somme.

I agree that its a very good read.


Tony

[LenT]

Currently reading Churchill's 'World Crisis'. Very well written but with an agenda in my opinion. Supporters of Western Front as main Front of the War bad, Eastern Front good. Gallipolli his good idea but ruined by others and he got the blame. Everything Navy did good but then he was in charge at least initially. Good book but not History as we know it now with, at least theoretically no bias, opposing points of view acknowledged etc.

   Len