What Book to you read again and again?

[Michael Johnson]

Rosemary Sutcliff's "The Eagle of the Ninth".

There's supposed to be a movie coming out soon, but I rather dread the thought.

For non-fiction, I seem to keep going back to George Mcdonald Fraser's Quartered Safe Out Here.

[Rob Connolly]

The War the Infantry Knew, which never fails to deliver something new at every reading.

Amen to this! THE book to read about the British Army in WW1, with an hilariously droll aspect.

Otherwise, The Lord of The Rings. Re-read it every year or two, and until recently didn't realise that old JRR had been on the Somme. Which is what, allegedly, some of the chapters are influenced by.

Oh - and - Three Men In A Boat. It might have been written in the nineteenth century but it's satires of bureaucracy, work and technology apply to this very day.

[27thBN]

Another Favorite is" The Guns of August" ..read it many

times

[Bernard_Lewis]

Yes, more recent works have 'challenged' some of Morris's original propositions though the bul of it is based on contemporary accounts. But I still struggle to find a book on any historical topic that is written in such an engaging style.

I also think I am right in saying that Morris is still seen as a trail blazer in Zulu war studies and his book - written in the 1960s - has (I believe) never been out of print. Enough said.

Bernard

[Steven Broomfield]

Oh - and - Three Men In A Boat. It might have been written in the nineteenth century but it's satires of bureaucracy, work and technology apply to this very day.

Hear, hear.

[stevem49]

Magnificent but not War (probably waht put me off the French and Kitchener for life )

Riding the retreat.

Does re-reading the 9th Bn Sherwood Foresters count

[djcrtoye]

For me its got to be Flowers of the Forest, Forgotten Scottish voices of the Great War. Like them because it gives a good Scottish view of the Great War.

[dycer]

Garn,

Whilst I introduced this Topic with a WW1 Scots slant,with the qualification that I would read again and again a WW1 Fiction Book.written by a Yorkshire Man i.e Covenant with Death".

I will reread,enjoy and "be there" when reading "Treasure Island" but am not sure how to react to "Christmas Carol" by Dickens,although I appreciate,his attempt to describe "Man's inhumanity to Man" and how goodness prevails.

Possibly I have been spoiled by the Disney Film interpretations?.

George

[Dawley Jockey]

The only book I have read more than once in the last couple of years is A LACK OF OFFENSIVE SPIRIT (The 46th North Midland Division at Gommecourt, 1st July 1916) By a fellow forum member Alan Macdonald.(BMac) I have read it so often it is literally falling to bits, an absolute must read and excellently well researched book.

[SFayers]

I never get tired of reading Siegfried Sassoon's Memoirs of a fox hunting man or Memoirs of an infantry officer; though funnily enough I've never read Sherston's progress!

All the best

Steve

[Steven Broomfield]

Steve: I'd also recommend Sassoon's 'proper' autobiography: appallingly I can't remember the names of all three - Weald of Youth and The Old Century (plus seven more years) rings bells - but there are three volumes and are beautiful books to read, if you haven't already.

Also a couple of mentions of Three men in a Boat reminded me that there was a 'sequel', Three Men on the Bummel, which has the same three chaps (minus the dog) on a cycling tour of turn-of-the-century Germany. I read it years and years ago, but actually managed to find my copy in ther attic at the weekend, so that's on the re-read pile.

[Jonathan Saunders]

A Life Apart by Alan Thomas, Five Years in the RFC by James McCudden and Gallipoli by Tim Travers are my stock read again books - if i had more time I awould always return to Old Soldiers Never Die by Frank Richards. Otehrwise I am always delving into Peter Hart books as well - I like the first hand accounts and I think Pete does a very good job with the supporting narrative.

Fiction - any Flashman books and the Winter King trilogy by Bernard Cornwell.

Regards,

Jonathan S

[Muerrisch]

Amen to this! THE book to read about the British Army in WW1, with an hilariously droll aspect.

Droll?

It comes across to me as a description of an appallingly long drawn out tragedy of a fine unit ravaged time and again by war and stupidity, and the ascendancy of the fine spirit of the Old Contemptibles, the Volunteers, and the Conscripts.

I have been know to shed a tear over it.

Amen to this! THE book to read about the British Army in WW1, with an hilariously droll aspect.

Otherwise, The Lord of The Rings. Re-read it every year or two, and until recently didn't realise that old JRR had been on the Somme. Which is what, allegedly, some of the chapters are influenced by.

Oh - and - Three Men In A Boat. It might have been written in the nineteenth century but it's satires of bureaucracy, work and technology apply to this very day.

[SFayers]

Steve: I'd also recommend Sassoon's 'proper' autobiography: appallingly I can't remember the names of all three - Weald of Youth and The Old Century (plus seven more years) rings bells - but there are three volumes and are beautiful books to read, if you haven't already.

Thanks Steve,

They are on my ever growing wish list!

[peterhogg]

I return frequently to Middlebrook since that was the first book I ever read about the July 1 attack. In more recent years I turn to Walking the Somme and Blunden. And yes, Three Men in a Boat.

[MartinThwaite]

Once again all the Lynn Macdonald books, outstanding! Covenant with Death - falling apart now and How Young They Died, The Mons Star all excellent re reads.

Regards,

Martin

[David_Ellis]

I have re-read these 2 books many times.

The Desert Column by Ion Idriess.

Link to AWM blog article about this book.

The hell, the humour and the heartbreak: a private's view of WW1 by Bert Bishop

Cheers

Dave.

[Simon Jones]

Oh - and - Three Men In A Boat. It might have been written in the nineteenth century but it's satires of bureaucracy, work and technology apply to this very day.

Not quite so off topic - here is the author's campaign medal index card.

[bluedog]

Pompey Elliott by Ross McMullin

The Desert Column

Somme Mud by E. Lynch

Gallipoli by Les Carlyon

Peter

[RBK1]

Seen several choices mentioned here that I concur with including, amazingly, Rosemary Sutcliff's 'Eagle of the Ninth' which is a rattling good read, but for me only one : Charles Douie's The Weary Road.

A true book of the heart.

[connaughtranger]

Also worth getting hold of are: 'Idle Thoughts of a Idle Fellow' by Jerome K Jerome & 'Siegfried's Journey 1916-1920' by Sassoon

Martin

[sassoon]

"The Stone Carvers" is one that I've enjoyed reading a few times over the summer months. As for non-fiction, I would have to say that "Before My Helpless Sight: Suffering, Dying and Military Medicine on the Western Front, 1914-1918" has gripped me enough to read over several times.

[nthornton1979]

I've just finished Pierre Berton's 'VIMY' for about the 5 time.

It's just one of those books !

Neil

[Michelle Young]

The Complete Memoirs of George Sherston by Sassoon, on my second copy as the first one fell to bits. Non Great War Brideshead Revisited and The Go Between are 2 very well loved books

Michelle

[WilliamRev]

"Tommy" by Richard Holmes: I've just finished reading it for the fourth time - at 700 or so pages it is long, but I wouldn't have it any shorter. It covers a vast number of aspects of life for the British soldier on the Western Front, and just oozes fascinating details.

William