Looking for a general history - a good read, rather than detailed research if you get my drift.

John

Tip and Run by Edward Paice - without a shadow of a doubt. Perhaps Mimi and Toutou Go Forth by Giles Foden'


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tip-Run-Untold-Tra...2623&sr=8-1

Cheers

Simon

Battle For The Bundu

Lend you mine for a fiver

Chris

The most concise account is: The First World War in Africa by Hew Strachan.

In paperback by Oxford University Press. IBSN No: 0-19-925728-0

Harry

John

Byron Farwell's book 'The Great War in Africa 1914-18' provides a good overview. It was written in 1987 - ISBN 0 670 80244 1 with useful maps.

Peter Shankland's book 'The Phantom Flotilla - the story of the Naval Africa Expedition 1915-16' is well worth reading, published in 1968 by Collins of London.


Philip

Thanks everyone. I'll start with the Strachan book and see where it takes me.

John

John, best of luck with your reading, I hope you find it as interesting and in contrast to the Western Front. If you have any questions I am sure you will get a good response.


Roop

You could always try 'Marching on Tanga' by Francis Brett Young published in 1917. It only covers a short period of time in 1916 when Brett Young was attached to the 2nd Rhodesians as a medical officer but it contains amongst the best descriptions of what it was like serving in East Africa including a hair raising episode when he was chased through the bush by German Askaris.

It is still in print and second hand copies can be found easily. First editions are best as you get the original photos. Alternatively you can download a version from the University of California. Link below.

Marching on Tanga

For a general history I would go with the suggestion of Edward Paice's 'Tip and Run' but for a real Boys' Own style read, Charles Miller's 'Battle for the Bundu' takes some beating. Strachan's account is deadly dull by comparison.

Hope this is of use.

james w

The memoirs of General Paul Emil von Lettow Vorbeck, the commander of the German forces in East Africa, is available free to read online or you can download it as a pdf

http://www.archive.org/details/myreminiscenceso00lettuoft

In his introduction he says that the book is based on his memory rather than any notes written at the time.

A word of warning before you buy the Strachan book. I'm sure that it's a reprint of the Africa section from his First World War: To Arms, which is meant to be Vol. 1 of a 3 volume wok, although the second seems to be a long time in coming. For the major fronts To Arms covers only 1914 but it takes some topics, including Africa, to the end of the war. It's excellent but, if you already have it, then I think that buying his African book is duplication.

The Strachan book arrived this morning. Martin's right that the book is a reprint from "To Arms" (which I don't have) but has its own introductory chapter.

It looks like a reasonable starting point for me but then I think I might want something with bit more "ooomph"

You have plenty of suggestions for the follow up but Paice's "Tip and Run" or Miller's "Battle for the Bundu" would be my suggestions. Ross Anderson's "The Forgotten Front" would be another alternative but I didn't get on with his style of writing as well as with the other two.

Regards

Steve

John, if you combine Francis Brett Youngs "Marching on Tanga" with Angus Buchanans "Three Years of War in East Africa" you have the benefit of having tewo men within yards of each other during the initial advance of 1916.

There are so many books but no single book adequately captures the whole situation so ideally read a smany as your interest drives you to.

The one volume of the Officail History is also very good, unfortuantely it was never completed.

Roop