World War I - Page 2

Mike L · 07-02-2014, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

RE Lawrence's 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom' this is public domain in Aus and Canada at least.

Lawrence died in 1935, so Seven Pillars of Widsom is public domain in all "life + 70" countries.

Be warned that it is a big book, and fairly difficult in parts. It was a required book for me in school, and I struggled with it. But I recently re-read it, and enjoyed it much more the second time round.

Mike

BenG · 07-02-2014, 12:58 PM

You may also be interested in a couple of other books by Tuchman, The Zimmerman Telegram about how the U. S. came to enter the war and The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914.

Also Mark Helprin's A Soldier of the Great War.

BobC · 07-02-2014, 01:38 PM

"Ypres and The Battles of Ypres" by Michelin & Cie (1919) is obtainable IIRC from Gutenberg.

A very comprehensive treatment of the three battles of Ypres from an unusual source.

BobC

BobC · 07-02-2014, 02:10 PM

Another from Gutenberg :

At Ypres with Best-Dunkley by Thomas Hope Floyd

Again quite narrow in scope but a first-person account.

BobC

AlbertaCowboy · 07-02-2014, 02:29 PM

"Vimy" by Pierre Berton is one of my all time favorite books. It was one of those "once in a lifetime" reads for me, sparking an interest in Canadian history and my own Canadian heritage that has never faded.

From the Kobo page:

One chill Easter dawn in 1917, a blizzard blowing in their faces, the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in France went over the top of a muddy scarp knows as Vimy Ridge. Within hours, they held in their grasp what had eluded both British and French armies in over two years of fighting: they had seized the best-defended German bastion on the Western Front.

How could an army of civilians from a nation with no military tradition secure the first enduring victory in thirty-two months of warfare with only 10,000 casualties, when the French had lost 150,000 men in their unsuccessful attempt? Pierre Berton's haunting and lucid narrative shows how, unfettered by military rules, civilians used daring and common sense to overcome obstacles that had eluded the professionals.

Drawing on unpublished personal accounts and interviews, Berton brings home what it was like for the young men, some no more than sixteen years old, who clawed their way up the sodden, shell-torn slopes in a struggle they innocently believed would make war obsolete. He tells of the soldiers who endured horrific conditions to secure this great victory, painting a vivid picture of trench warfare. In his account of this great battle, Pierre Berton brilliantly illuminated the moment of tragedy and greatness that marked Canada's emergence as a nation.

AnemicOak · 07-02-2014, 03:27 PM

Thank you everyone for your thoughts so far. Tons of great sounding stuff I look forward to checking out.

DuaneAA · 07-02-2014, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

Duane we've both mentioned the same book but it's known by different titles according to the publisher or ??

Yep, I agree with you - the book provides a fantastic knowledge base for not just the build up to the why's and wherefore's of WWII, but also it's like a dictionary of geography with numerous peoples and countries getting on the bandwagon and politicking for change or being changed whether they want it or not!!

It does appear to be the same book. When I looked on Amazon, both titles show up, however they use the same background photo on the covers.

Duane

mikeayers · 07-02-2014, 08:27 PM

e. e. cummings wrote a book called The Enormous Room. It's about his time in a French prison where he was held because of his friends anti-war sentiments.

badgoodDeb · 07-02-2014, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

Duane we've both mentioned the same book but it's known by different titles according to the publisher or ??

Yep, I agree with you - the book provides a fantastic knowledge base for not just the build up to the why's and wherefore's of WWII, but also it's like a dictionary of geography with numerous peoples and countries getting on the bandwagon and politicking for change or being changed whether they want it or not!!

Actually, on amazon US, I'm seeing "Paris 1919" as a book with two additional authors, and written in 2003. And "The War the ended Peace: the Road to 1914" as only Macmillan, written in 2013.

For what that's worth. But your comments have made me look into both books!

Lynx-lynx · 07-03-2014, 05:59 AM

@badgoodDeb ..... there's an ooops on it's way from me if I've confused you ....

There are two MacMillan books that have been mentioned in this thread:

The Peacemakers - which is about the making of the Treaty of Versailles

The War that Ended Peace - which is about the build up to the WWI

The Peacemakers may also be known by another name - Paris 1919.

Here's an excerpt from the Publishers page in my copy of the ebook:
First published in Great Britain in 2001 John Murray (Publishers)
An Hachette UK Company
Copyright © Margaret MacMillan 2001

Hope that adds some clarity

ucfgrad93 · 07-03-2014, 04:34 PM

I have read and would recommend the following books:

Attrition: The Great War on the Western Front - 1916

The Dardanelles: Tragedy and Heroism

The Great War at Sea: 1914-1918

BenG · 07-06-2014, 10:29 AM

If you like mystery and detective stories, you may want to try Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series. Dobbs was a nurse during WWI and after the war becomes a private investigator. Many of her cases involve things that happened during the Great War.

She also wrote a stand alone novel about the war, The Care and Management of Lies.
http://www.npr.org/2014/07/03/325491...ope-in-wartime

Catlady · 07-06-2014, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenG

If you like mystery and detective stories, you may want to try Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series. Dobbs was a nurse during WWI and after the war becomes a private investigator. Many of her cases involve things that happened during the Great War.

She also wrote a stand alone novel about the war, The Care and Management of Lies.
http://www.npr.org/2014/07/03/325491...ope-in-wartime

Also set during WWI is Charles Todd's Bess Crawford series, which I think is much more interesting--I gave up on Maisie after the first few books. Bess is also a nurse who becomes involved in solving mysteries.

Another WWI-era mystery series is Elizabeth Speller's Laurence Bartram books. I haven't read these yet.

Lynx-lynx · 07-09-2014, 04:38 AM

Anyone recommend any authors/books on Germany in the lead up to WWI?

I appreciate that Germany is covered as one of the countries in the general overview books about WWI and the build up period, but I'm wondering about books written just on Germany. Maybe from and including the period of the re-unification until the war.

bfisher · 07-09-2014, 09:02 AM

You might have a look at William Manchester's "The Arms of Krupp". A bit dated now (1968), but a fine writer.

Christopher Clark's "Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600-1947" is more recent.

Bismarck was the architect of the Second Reich. I have "Bismarck: A Life" by Jonathan Steinberg on my TBR.

07-03-2014, 05:59 AM	#25
Lynx-lynx Treachery of images ... Posts: 4,149 Karma: 94320195 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Australia Device: Sony 650, Kobo Glo, H2O, Aura One, Forma, Libra 2, Libra Colour	@badgoodDeb ..... there's an ooops on it's way from me if I've confused you .... There are two MacMillan books that have been mentioned in this thread: The Peacemakers - which is about the making of the Treaty of Versailles The War that Ended Peace - which is about the build up to the WWI The Peacemakers may also be known by another name - Paris 1919. Here's an excerpt from the Publishers page in my copy of the ebook: First published in Great Britain in 2001 John Murray (Publishers) An Hachette UK Company Copyright © Margaret MacMillan 2001 Hope that adds some clarity Last edited by Lynx-lynx; 07-03-2014 at 06:02 AM.

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07-02-2014, 12:58 PM	#17
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,730 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	You may also be interested in a couple of other books by Tuchman, The Zimmerman Telegram about how the U. S. came to enter the war and The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914. Also Mark Helprin's A Soldier of the Great War.

07-02-2014, 01:38 PM	#18
BobC Guru Posts: 691 Karma: 3026110 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Lancashire, U.K. Device: BeBook 1, BeBook Pure, Kobo Glo, (and HD),Energy Sistem EReader Pro +	"Ypres and The Battles of Ypres" by Michelin & Cie (1919) is obtainable IIRC from Gutenberg. A very comprehensive treatment of the three battles of Ypres from an unusual source. BobC

07-02-2014, 02:10 PM	#19
BobC Guru Posts: 691 Karma: 3026110 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Lancashire, U.K. Device: BeBook 1, BeBook Pure, Kobo Glo, (and HD),Energy Sistem EReader Pro +	Another from Gutenberg : At Ypres with Best-Dunkley by Thomas Hope Floyd Again quite narrow in scope but a first-person account. BobC

07-02-2014, 02:29 PM	#20
AlbertaCowboy Guru Posts: 819 Karma: 171672846 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Alberta, Canada Device: PRS-350, PRS-650, iPhone 6, NVIDIA Shield K1	"Vimy" by Pierre Berton is one of my all time favorite books. It was one of those "once in a lifetime" reads for me, sparking an interest in Canadian history and my own Canadian heritage that has never faded. From the Kobo page: One chill Easter dawn in 1917, a blizzard blowing in their faces, the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in France went over the top of a muddy scarp knows as Vimy Ridge. Within hours, they held in their grasp what had eluded both British and French armies in over two years of fighting: they had seized the best-defended German bastion on the Western Front. How could an army of civilians from a nation with no military tradition secure the first enduring victory in thirty-two months of warfare with only 10,000 casualties, when the French had lost 150,000 men in their unsuccessful attempt? Pierre Berton's haunting and lucid narrative shows how, unfettered by military rules, civilians used daring and common sense to overcome obstacles that had eluded the professionals. Drawing on unpublished personal accounts and interviews, Berton brings home what it was like for the young men, some no more than sixteen years old, who clawed their way up the sodden, shell-torn slopes in a struggle they innocently believed would make war obsolete. He tells of the soldiers who endured horrific conditions to secure this great victory, painting a vivid picture of trench warfare. In his account of this great battle, Pierre Berton brilliantly illuminated the moment of tragedy and greatness that marked Canada's emergence as a nation.

07-02-2014, 03:27 PM	#21
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	Thank you everyone for your thoughts so far. Tons of great sounding stuff I look forward to checking out.

07-02-2014, 08:27 PM	#23
mikeayers Zealot Posts: 136 Karma: 432377 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: USA Device: Kindle PW 10thGen, Kobo Clara HD	e. e. cummings wrote a book called The Enormous Room. It's about his time in a French prison where he was held because of his friends anti-war sentiments.

07-03-2014, 04:34 PM	#26
ucfgrad93 Wizard Posts: 2,372 Karma: 9026681 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Colorado Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2nd Gen	I have read and would recommend the following books: Attrition: The Great War on the Western Front - 1916 The Dardanelles: Tragedy and Heroism The Great War at Sea: 1914-1918

07-06-2014, 10:29 AM	#27
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,730 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	If you like mystery and detective stories, you may want to try Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series. Dobbs was a nurse during WWI and after the war becomes a private investigator. Many of her cases involve things that happened during the Great War. She also wrote a stand alone novel about the war, The Care and Management of Lies. http://www.npr.org/2014/07/03/325491...ope-in-wartime

07-09-2014, 04:38 AM	#29
Lynx-lynx Treachery of images ... Posts: 4,149 Karma: 94320195 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Australia Device: Sony 650, Kobo Glo, H2O, Aura One, Forma, Libra 2, Libra Colour	Anyone recommend any authors/books on Germany in the lead up to WWI? I appreciate that Germany is covered as one of the countries in the general overview books about WWI and the build up period, but I'm wondering about books written just on Germany. Maybe from and including the period of the re-unification until the war.

07-09-2014, 09:02 AM	#30
bfisher Wizard Posts: 1,638 Karma: 28483498 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ottawa Canada Device: Sony PRS-T3, Galaxy (Aldiko, Kobo app)	You might have a look at William Manchester's "The Arms of Krupp". A bit dated now (1968), but a fine writer. Christopher Clark's "Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600-1947" is more recent. Bismarck was the architect of the Second Reich. I have "Bismarck: A Life" by Jonathan Steinberg on my TBR.