T he first world war shaped the world in which we live today. An autobiography, by robert graves published in 1929, when he was in his early thirties, graves famously candid autobiography includes a harrowing account of his experiences with trench warfare in france during the first world war. These publications were generally compiled in a series of volumes. Putting a human face on the war, william kelleher storey takes into account individual decisions and experiences as well as environmental and technological factors such as food, geography, manpower, and weapons. The number of countries that were involved made it impossible to not have a longlasting effect, whether negative or positive.
I also wanted to try and reflect the fact that the way we write the history of the first world war has changed immensely, certainly from when i was at school. The great books that define the great war the irish times. World war i, 191418, also known as the great war, conflict, chiefly in europe, among most of the great western powers. Tony bradmans top 10 books about the first world war. The book, published in 1929, is a first person account of american frederic henry, serving as a lieutenant tenente in the ambulance corps of the italian army. These interviews, recorded between 1978 and 1980, allowed surviving veterans of the first world war to share their experiences, in their own words. Jul 18, 2014 it may be your first foray into world war i literature, but it wont be your last. My top 10 has both old and new books in it, and they cover a wide. The novel is a collection of individual accounts narrated by an agent of the united nations postwar commission, following the devastating global conflict against the zombie plague. It also charts the moral, political and legal implications of the changing character of war and, in particular, the. Routledge studies in first world war history about the series the first world war is a subject of perennial interest to historians and is often regarded as a watershed event, marking the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the modern industrial world. William boyd, author of first world war novel waiting for sunrise, has. Even american politician newt gingrich penned one 1945, a postworld war iithemed novel along with william r. This category has the following 4 subcategories, out of 4 total.
Doughboy war the american expeditionary force in wwi book. We rely to an ever greater extent on our readers, both for the moral. I find that some of the books are written by authors from nations that won the war and portray the axis powers as pure evil. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Cambridge core twentieth century regional history the cambridge history of the first world war edited by jay winter. Stories of the first world war tells the story of 19141918 through the experiences of twelve children and young people. Taking a global perspective, environmental histories of the first world war presents the ecological consequences of the vast destructive power of the new weaponry and the close collaboration between militaries and civilian governments taking place during this time, showing how this war set trends for the rest of the century. First world war official histories the australian war memorial. The best books about the first world war pan macmillan. An oral history of the zombie war is a 2006 zombie apocalyptic horror novel written by american author max brooks. From hemingways a farewell to arms, the poetry of sassoon, graves, brooke, and owen to all quiet on the western front, there are numerous examples of acclaimed writing inspired by the great war. The literature generated from world war i is well documented and will hopefully serve as a reminder of how the world can fall apart.
The editor of the oxford history of the first world war, he is writing a. With the call to action stations in august 1914, the royal navy faced its greatest test since the time of nelson. The undisputed king of alternative histories is the prolific harry turtledove, who has helped guide the genre into mainstream reading. Frightful first world war and over 8 million other books are available for amazon kindle. The zombie war came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Nov 11, 2014 first published anonymously in 1930, ernest hemingway called this novel, the finest and noblest book of men in war that i have ever read. Five books on world war i history smithsonian magazine. John keegans the first world war and the second world war may well fit the bill for you. Volume i surveys the military history, showing the brutal realities of a global war among.
The history of the first world war 01 by stevenson, david isbn. Buy a history of the first world war book online at low prices in. A farewell to arms is a novel by ernest hemingway set during the italian campaign of world war i. A collection of some of the best books about world war one, from moving. It was the first conflict in which airplanes, submarines, and tanks played a significant role, the first in which casualties on the battlefield outnumbered those from disease. What are some of the best books explaining world war 1 and. They include both fiction and nonfiction books, magazine articles, poems, and diaries. I have also read some accounts of the gruesome rape, pillage and exploitation by the the alli. The horns of the beast the swakop river campaign and world war i in southwest africa 191415, james stejskal. A history of the first world war liddell harts history of the first world war first appeared in 1930 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most cogent accounts of the conflict ever published. The 17 best books on world war i of 2020 thoughtco. List of books and articles about world war i online. National historical societys featured books shadows of the storm.
The history of the first world war told through the reallife stories of the. The official history of australia in the war of 19141918 is a 12volume series covering australias involvement in the first world war. The history of the great war based on official documents by direction of the committee of. Remembering world war i with 10 astounding books barnes. Nov 10, 2011 the great war and modern memory 1975, by paul fussell. Causes world war i was immediately precipitated by the assassination of archduke francis ferdinand of austriahungary by a serbian nationalist in 1914. Wartime recruitment had profound implications for african as well as french society. Jun 29, 2018 the literature that emerged from the conflict was, for fussell, characterised by irony, and the experience of the war meant that the events of 19141918 could only be presented in such terms. Based on the testimony of 85 african witnesses or veterans of the. Tactical reform of the british army 1902 1914, as well as numerous scholarly articles.
All quiet on the western front by erich maria remarque, the guns of august by barbara w. Albert follows and what happens in this strongly moral childrens book does much to. This book was created almost a decade ago as part of an oral history project in britain to interview the remaining survivors soldiers and civilians alike who lived through the first world war. Jun 18, 2014 do you want personal stories or more of the timeline, general overview sort of book. Certainly it is the supreme novel of the great war. Book of the first world war is now available from the imagineshop and all good newsagents. A history of the first world war liddell harts history of the first world war first appeared in 1930 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most cogent accounts. There has long been a debate about the exact cause of the first world war. The western front and post war battlefield guide books are a specialty. Specializing in books covering every aspect of the great war, 19141918. Short history of the first world war short histories. Both books do have a slightly britishallied slant to them keegan was a senior lecturer at rma sandhurst for many years and his relationship with the british army does come accross strongly. Douglas haig and the british army, which was shorlisted for the presigious duke of.
List of books and articles about world war ii naval history. The 15th army group was the senior command for forces in italy at the end of world war ii. Literature international encyclopedia of the first world. The cambridge history of the first world war edited by jay winter. Firstly, there are histories of the war, written as the war was proceeding. A world war ii story of survival, resilience and redemption by laura hillenbrand, hiroshima by john hersey, band. Army, 15th army group history, 16 december 1944 2 may 1945. Supported projects include one in huddersfield about the history of a rugby league. What are the best books to read for a neutral view on the. Focuses on the successful south african invasion of german southwest africa, a brief campaign that rarely gets more than a paragraph or two in histories of the first world war. Environmental histories of the first world war edited by. His previous publications include from boer war to world war. Many of these people were well into their 90s and a few were older than 100.
It is regarded as the bloodiest land battle in history. Not only did it dramatically change the map of europe and the world, it ultimately led to further instability and a second world war. The book, published in 1929, is a firstperson account of american frederic henry, serving as a lieutenant tenente in the ambulance corps of the italian army. The unprecedented scope and intensity of the first world war has prompted an enormous body of retrospective scholarship. A photographic history of the first few months of the first world war, looking at just about everything apart from the fighting itself, so covers the prewar period, the initial mobilisation, propaganda, key personalities of 1914, the fate of europes many refugees, ending with a look at christmas 1914, by which time it was clear the war would. Max brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acidetched first hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the united states of america and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospit. The first world war was an incredibly destructive and wide ranging catastrophe. The cambridge history of the first world war is a comprehensive, threevolume work, which provides. Stories of the first world war by jim eldridge books. In a compact but comprehensive and clear narrative, this book explores the first world war from a genuinely global perspective.
The store features a great selection of wwithemed treasures, including military collectibles, tshirts, history books, vintage replicas, poppy items, and more. Jun 28, 2014 combining the stories of both real and fictional characters psychologically crippled by war, regeneration is the first in a series of novels by pat barker. Focusing on senegal, lunn provides a unique perspective for assessing the range of the war s impact on west africans. Jul 03, 2014 choosing a top 10 has been a challenge there are so many great books for children and young people about the first world war. The history of the first world war 01 by stevenson, david. Authority, identity and the social history of the great war. Other passages record a decadelong desperate struggle, as experienced by people of. Europe 1914 1918 by nicolson buy on amazon although not enough for a study in itself, this quality book will accompany any discussion of the first world war, whether you want a few extra figures for an essay or a readyreference for your novel. The best books on world war i five books expert recommendations. This classic history of the great war at sea combines graphic and stirring accounts of all the principal naval engagements battles overseas, in home waters and, for the first time, under the seawith analysis of the strategy and tactics of both sides. The best alternative histories in literature on abebooks. It resulted in a world war that lasted four years, claimed 37 million lives and changed. This is a condensed version of a larger, multivolume project.
A conflict of unprecedented ferocity, it abruptly ended the relative peace and prosperity of the victorian era, unleashing such demons of the twentieth century as mechanized warfare and mass death. This category is for articles on history books with world war ii as a topic see also. Previous books include the acclaimed forgotten victory and the chief. Discover book depositorys huge selection of world war 1 nonfiction books online. The imperial war museum department of printed books and the battery press republished the official history in the 1990s with black and white maps. Between 1914 and 1918, the french army recruited over 140,000 west africans who served as combatants on the western front. Authors prepare to mark centenary of first world war with flood of. The series was edited by the official historian charles bean, who also wrote six of the volumes, and was published between 1920 and 1942. All sources cited were published between 1914 and 1987. A number of official publications were produced after the first world war to give an account of the course of events involving the military forces of a given country.
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