World War 1 The Story of the Great War 1914-1918

[Len Trim]

Picked up this old (1979) book for a quid on ebay. It was an edition for Marks and Spencer. As a teacher I love its A4 format with lots of pictures. The usual black and white ones supplemented with a lot of colour paintings and posters which will soon be appearing in suitable powerpoint presentations. Paintings include views of cavalry charges, trenches, Menin Road, attacking a pillbox etc. I particularly love one purporting to show 1st Ypres with the British fighting in redcoats and bearskins! For a 'popular' oversight of the war it covers the lot; western front, eastern front, Gallipoli, Palestine, Africa. Magic for a pound:-))

Len

[simonharley]

I'll be rather vicious and say I'm very happy that Correlli Barnett wrote a coffee book on the Great War, as I'm sure he couldn't make it too inaccurate. But for a pound you can't go wrong really, especially if it is profusely illustrated.

I have his "The Swordbearers" and in places his "Sailor with a Flawed Cutlass" section on Admiral Jellicoe is a travesty of facts and scholarship.

Simon

[phil andrade]

Over the past 25 years or so quite a few of these coffee books on the Great War have been publshed : big hardback books with lots of lavish coloured illustrations.

This one, I reckon, is one of the - perhaps the- best.

Phil.

[Len Trim]

Personally I really like Barnett's work, not least because he makes his point of view very obvious. As a teacher I have to get my senior pupils to use historiography in their essays. At Advanced Higher they have to show they understand two competing historical points of view before putting their conclusion. Barnett is always good for a quote. There is one on the welfare state which goes along the lines of the welfare state being responsible for creating modern Britain, a nation of semi literate layabouts hanging off the maternal nipple of the state. Great stuff, whether you agree with it or not.

Len