Bedtime reading - WW1

[Paul Caswell]

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

[CaroleW]

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

[millymcb]

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

[layerb]

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

[bernard_lewis]

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

[scrimnet]

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

[scrimnet]

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

[Viktoria]

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.         ,

[CaroleW]

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