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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Paul Caswell on Friday 09 October 09 23:22 BST (UK)
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Hi All,
I know all sorts of things about my two grandfathers who were a part of the Great War but I am sadly lacking in knowledge about what it was like.
I've decided to do some reading-up and would appreciate any good sites that are worth browsing.
I have found the following useful so far as 'introductory' sites:
http://www.pbs.org/greatwar
http://www.1914-1918.net
Has anyone got any other good 'Bedtime Reading' sites you feel gives a more balanced view of the war or covers parts of it in particular depth or just somehow helps you better understand what it was really like?
I will later want to delve into individual battles etc, who would you recommend for that?
Paul
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Hi Paul
Not books - but have you watched The World at War which is available as an 11 DVD boxed set from Amazon
I have only seen parts of the original TV series but know it includes interviews and personal memories from people who served in WW1
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For me - you can't beat Lyn MacDonald's series of books on the Great War.. Only in old fashioned book form I'm afraid but contains brilliant first hand accounts through letters, diaries, testimonies etc. The series starts with the eager young men of 1914, through Paschendale to The Somme. There is also one Looking at Women's experiences. They are all absolutely fascinating.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyn_MacDonald
Milly
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Hi Paul,
You could do not better than try The Western Front Association.
www.wfa.org
There are plenty of unit histories about, so if you know the particular battalion of their regiment you should look at that. Also trace the division as well as they often have histories written which show how things fitted together.
Men serving inn Infantry regiment (Cheshire, King's Liverpool etc) would serve in a battalion !st, 2nd etc and it is this unit you need to trace first. Battalions were grouped in4s or later 3s into a Brigade and then a number of brigades into a Division. They were then grouped into an "Army".
Hope this helps,
layerb
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The World at War is about World War II. Is Carole thinking about the series called 'The Great War' which does (I think) include items by participants.
Bernard
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Hi Paul
Not books - but have you watched The World at War which is available as an 11 DVD boxed set from Amazon
I have only seen parts of the original TV series but know it includes interviews and personal memories from people who served in WW1
That I'm afraid is a WW2 series! Made by Thames in the 1970s...
The WW1 series from the 1960s is called The Great War and was given away in a national newspaper last year...Made by the BBC
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As for books...Any of the "Battleground Europe" series by Pen and Sword...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=battleground+europe+books&tag=googhydr-21&index=stripbooks&hvadid=4326662315&ref=pd_sl_5zucvz9l4u_e
Excellent small "pocket money" books which focus on specific actions
And then there is Forgotten Victory
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Forgotten-Victory-First-World-Realities/dp/0747264600/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255128191&sr=1-1
And Mud Blood And Poppycock
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mud-Blood-Poppycock-Military-Paperbacks/dp/0304366595/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255128285&sr=1-1
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Hello Paul , for factual accounts
I find Lyn Macdonald`s books very informative,The Somme
They Called it Passchendaele
To The Last man.
Robert Graves` classic ,Goodbye To All That.
Martin Middlebrook, The Somme.
Richard Holmes, The Western Front.
Vera Brittain`s War Diaries
Testament of Youth.
For fiction-- Sebastian Faulks`Birdsong.
John Harris` Covenant with Death. Pat Barker`s Regeneration trilogy. Viktoria. ,
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What a divvy I am - of course it is WW2!! - Sorry Paul
In an attempt to redeem myself - World War One - The Terrible Story Of The Great War - and - In The Line Of Fire - Famous Battles Of World War One are both on DVD and available from Amazon
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Hi Paul,
You could do not better than try The Western Front Association.
www.wfa.org
There are plenty of unit histories about, so if you know the particular battalion of their regiment you should look at that. Also trace the division as well as they often have histories written which show how things fitted together.
Men serving inn Infantry regiment (Cheshire, King's Liverpool etc) would serve in a battalion !st, 2nd etc and it is this unit you need to trace first. Battalions were grouped in4s or later 3s into a Brigade and then a number of brigades into a Division. They were then grouped into an "Army".
Hope this helps,
layerb
Unless you are doing missionary work to the poor lost souls of Rootschat, I think you meant to link this,....
http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/
;D ;D
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Thanks all. ... Plenty to browse now.
I'm not specifically looking for books so if you can think of any other particularly good websites or documentaries I'd appreciate it.
Paul
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Books is best!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D
The web can be an.....interesting place :o ::)
As are some of the programmes made for television these days. Not balanced and written by 9yr old producers with no idea
There is a lot of tosh out there...Especially on the "History" channel re WW1 (and WW2 come to that!)...I have ended up throwing things at the TV >:(
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Books is best!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D
...I have ended up throwing things at the TV >:(
I absolutely agree - on both of those. ;D
Paul
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Hi Paul,
This is a link to the twelves volumes of C W Bean's books of the history of WW1.
http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/first_world_war/
Fromelles is covered in great detail.
Cheers,
JM
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Another good read with particular reference to the ordinary soldier is Tommy - by Richard Holmes
Cheers
Sue
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That looks great JM. I think I am going to spend a few hours there ;D
Thanks everyone for your good suggestions.
Paul
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Hi Paul,
This is a link to the twelves volumes of C W Bean's books of the history of WW1.
http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/first_world_war/
Fromelles is covered in great detail.
Cheers,
JM
Hi JM and Paul
If you want the "bible" on Fromelles then it simply has to be Robin Corfield's Don't Forget Me, Cobber A new edition came out in July which has been updated to cover the find at Pheasant Wood. I think it is still hard to get in the UK as I got my copy sent over from Oz.
Also, it seems to be a new addition to the AWM website as I don't recall seeing it a few weeks ago, is the personal papers of Bean from which he wrote the OH.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,412976.0.html
Glen
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I absolutely agree about "Tommy" by Richard Holmes. It is unputdownable! Mr Holmes has written some cracking books but Tommy is really the best of the bunch. It is enlightening, informative and not at all a dry read. I have not found anything to better it.
I hope one day he might write about the Allied Expeditionary Force to North Russia 1919.