What makes a good War Memorial Book?

[Waddell]

Like a few others on the forum I’ve been working on a book about a local memorial.

As part of my research I have purchased or borrowed a lot of books about memorials both here and in the UK. I have a fair idea in my own mind what makes one of these books interesting, but figure that it might be a good thing to consult the collective knowledge of the forum (particularly the authors amongst us) as to what works and what doesn’t?

As an example I picked up a book recently written about a memorial that gave a few details about its foundation, some brief details about the men who were killed in the war and a spreadsheet listing other men listed but containing only the briefest of details. In my opinion that is not enough research, however what would also be considered too much information?

With my own research I have tried diligently to link the men to the area- I believe this is very important. I have also tried to add a lot more details about their lives before and after the war where possible.

So what things do others consider important?

-Background to battles/campaigns

-Details about structure, ranking and particular units of the forces served in

-Details about the town before, during and after the war

-Details of post war life

-Chronological arrangement

I welcome your thoughts!

Scott

[spconnolly007]

Scott, I will be following this thread with interest as I am in the process of doing the same with my local war memorial. I have collated brief details on most of the men and women(including civilian war dead)who are named, but as you ask, where do you draw the line? Look forward to what others have to say on the matter, regards Sean

[moulie11]

Scott,

Excellent topic to start and I shall follow with interest. I, too, am working on a similar project - hopefully to be published in some format or another for the centenary.

At the moment, I am working on the basis that I want to collect 'as much information as possible' on each of the chaps I am researching (174 of them in total). Ideally, I'd love to write at least a page about each of the men individually, accompanied by a photograph where this is possible. However, I know that this might not be achieved in every case.

In my view, some information about the war memorial is vital (i.e. funding, costs, design, construction etc.). Some contextual information about relevant battles and campaigns would also be useful. I have also considered the inclusion of an appendix, providing additional notes on army structure, ranking and other relevant information.

The history of the town before and after the war could be an entirely separate undertaking of its own, as there would be masses to write. I had also considered doing this, but told myself that I need to approach the project realistically and concentrate on the main aims.

Those are just a few thoughts. I'd also be interested to read what other people have to say.

Good luck with it!

moulie

[John_Hartley]

Whether book or website,the decision about how to present it depends on (1) the author's level of interest and (2) the intended audience.

For some purposes, the simple identification of the men together with their basic service details and place of burial/commemoration will be entirely sufficient.

For others (and I include my own website in this), some biographical information on the men will be required as will the circumstances of their deaths.

For others still, there will be a need to set the memorial in the context of the community - in effect telling the story of the area during the time of the war.

Let's not forget that, almost invariably, war memorial researchers are not professional historians or authors. We're doing this as a hobby. Nothing more. That means the process should be interesting and enjoyable. Fun , if you will - whatever fun means to the individual in this context.

[moulie11]

Let's not forget that, almost invariably, war memorial researchers are not professional historians or authors. We're doing this as a hobby. Nothing more.

Perhaps my desire to collect detailed, biographical information relating to each of the men stems from the fact that I'm a professional genealogist (and writer) by trade. My principal intention is to research the men, their lives and their families. I think this is most important. So yes, I suppose the content will greatly depend upon the researcher's level of interest, but at the same time it is important not to forget your intended audience.

moulie

[John(txic)]

I think many of the answers sought above will depend on the size of the memorial - how many are commemorated thereon?

[Chris_Baker]

Just a couple of thoughts.

Deep down inside this, you have to look at why you are doing it. What is the purpose of producing a book? That surely must inform you about the style and content that it should contain. Like you, Scott, I have seen lots of these and while most of those I've seen are well researched and very thorough, they are just not readable. But that is perhaps because they are inevitably more of a work of reference than something that can be read start to finish. Most are very useful in that regard. So - are you setting out to produce reference or readability?

My second point concerns uniqueness. What is it about this memorial and the men it lists that sets it apart from others? I'm not sure I see much point in lots of contextual material about the campaigns and battles, or about what the army was, for they can be had in other and probably better ways. But what about the impact on the town/village both during the war and as its legacy? I suspect that would be of great interest to local and family historians, perhaps more so than how each man met his end.

[Kate Wills]

Chris and John make most important points, underling why many such projects, worthy as they are, can disappoint.

Most often the disappointments come (and I'm certain this will not be the case here) with memorial books which are compiled by people with great respect for the men, but scant knowledge of the war and the military. Also, there may be so much repetition that a list may be the best approach, with inserted panels within the text for individulals with special stories. So many of the victims lifestories will tell much the same tale: Smith Street School, which they left at 14 to work for Smith & Sons Ltd. Poignant as this is, it does not bear repetition.

Another of my bugbears is that the men on the memorial are remembered, unlike those who returned. Many veterans quietly took up the familiar reins once again, but others were turned upsidedown by war service, some prospered, others lost a future (for instance, my grandfather enlisted aged 27. He had served a long apprenticeship on the LNWR including night-school, and could look forward to a steady, enjoyable and reasonably-paid working life. He returned in one piece, though carrying malaria, to two years dole; and eventually took up a job making fireplaces in Northampton, rather than the railway carriages of which he was so proud in Wolverton.

To ignore the survivors is to ignore the majority of men who served, and war's reverberations in the ensuing years.

[Dragon]

What would tempt me to look inside such a book would be richness of information about the community before and during the war, well illustrated with contemporary and modern photos. I would be interested to read about the decision process leading to the memorial, the various designs and suggestions considered, architects' or engineers' drawings, costings & fund-raising, and pictures showing the memorial through the years (eg its opening, any later ceremonies, pictures of it in context as part of the street furniture, etc). I would want to know how the community was affected after the war and how it came to terms with its losses.

If possible, I would like to read reminiscences by survivors of the generation born in the last years or the aftermath of the war. I would like to see their photos, any letters which survive and any treasures brought home by the family member(s) who served. This means I would want the book to include those who came home and those who contributed to the war effort at home.

I'm afraid I wouldn't be very interested in campaign and battle details (I can use Google for those). I would pass by any chapters on the structure of the British Army. I would be utterly put off by feeling that a self-appointed military historian was using such a book as a vehicle for promoting his or her own superior specialist knowledge.

I would be angry at any promotion in the local press which intimated that said author was a uniquely qualified local expert on the Great War. I'm absolutely not thinking of anyone contributing to this thread. I'm recalling pieces in our local papers which have implied that only such-and-such knows anything about the war and only he actually cares. If it wasn't for his boring little book, none of us would ever remember and the lads would be lost to history, etc etc. If I sound rather bitter, it's because only a few weeks ago someone was ranting in our local paper that everyone thinks they can be an historian these days. Just because we don't all tell the local rag how astonishingly ground-breaking our "research" is, how fabulous our qualifications, how unique our insights... He was forgetting that he is only a temporary borrower of other people's family members.

And following from that, I would also want to know that every effort had been taken to contact the family and that no hitherto undiscovered secrets were being spilled in public.

I write as someone with very little specialist knowledge who has no intention of writing a war memorial book.

Gwyn

[John_Hartley]

Also, there is so much repetition that a list may be the best approach, with inserted panels for individulals with special stories.

Certainly an issue I faced with the couple of thousand names on my Stockport website. I took the decision very early on that where there was four or more casualties in the same unit in the same action, I wouldnt repeat the narrative of the batle on each of their pages but, rather, simply link to another part of the website where I could just tell the tale once.

It's an easy way to deal with repetition on a website. Similarly, I also know that no-one is going to read the website page by page so the difficulty of avoiding repetitive writing style is inherently dealt with. There are only so many ways you say that Fred went over the top and was cut down by heavy machine gun fire. On a website, the reader is going to have come across the page while Googling for an ancestor and isnt going to realise there's another 100 pages describing other deaths in very similar language. With a book, it can get very boring particularly in the "one man, one page" style that books often have.

[Kate Wills]

A perennial problem with the one man per page style is that equality in death is not reflected for chroniclers. Some names elude all efforts to seek information; while others unlock a torrent of facts and photos.

[moulie11]

Kate,

Your last point summarises my main concern with my chosen format. I intended to do a straightforward roll of honour (much like those published soon after the war). However, at the moment, I have scant information on some of the chaps and reams of information for certain individuals (mainly officers, of course). Some individuals I have yet to identify altogether. It almost seems unfair to print in that format with such bias, but the unbalance is obviously due to factors beyond my control (i.e. the records available).

So, the comments here are making me seriously re-consider both format and content...

moulie

P.S. Sorry to hijack your thread here, Scott!!

[spconnolly007]

My project involves 183 names(of which 54 are civilian war dead). It started as a side project to my own families military history(which left 5 KIA between both wars)and to date, I have manged to find details on most of them. Wether it turns into a web page or printed, I cant say, but I have had some support from our local library, with access to documents pertaining to the building of the memorial, cost etc, and local newspaper archives. I have no intention of getting bogged down with too much detail on the theatres in which they fought, but will add enough to give an outline of where they served and if possible, the circumstances of their death. As Kate mentioned, I am concious of those men who returned, but, where do you draw the line? Regards Sean

[Broznitsky]

I too shall follow this topic. I'm a bit lucky in that I only have 27 names, but there is still the ongoing scope creep to consider that others are encountering. Glad I'm not alone!

Peter in B.C.

[Kate Wills]

Other than a few short articles, I haven't committed myself to publication yet; however, when I do I will draw on the benefits that delivering presentations has given. Divising a presentation does force you to put your thoughts and information in order, and create a workable production. Presentations for both specialist (predominently WFA for me) and general audiences usually conclude with question and answer sessions. These are invaluable, for points arise that may have been overlooked, and new information is often unearthed.

[g6yfb]

I am most impressed with the comments on this thread, although I am not writing a book (at present) I am attempting to find information on the regiments and movements for two family members who saw service which may turn into a book.

The advice given is most appreciated.

[izzy]

Being more or less a local history book there will be a chance to look at the locations where people lived, were.educated married and worked. This will give your target audience an intrest in where casualties once resided in the locality.Another aspect i would look for is the funding and dedication of the memorial.

[Kate Wills]

So what things do others consider important?

...

-Chronological arrangement ...

I think it well worth considering chronological arrangement, because the men didn't serve or die in alphabetical order. Their service will most likely reflect the unfolding course of the war, with certain black days according to the engagements of local units. For instance 1st July 1916 pales into insignificance in Northamptonshire, where 9 May 1915 was the last day to dawn for so many local lads, when both regular battalions of the Northamptonshire Regiment were in action at Aubers Ridge.

[spconnolly007]

The plain fact of the matter is, that whatever you do, be it a web-page, write a small local history type book or just collate names with regiments, date of death and a few lines on the individual, it will probably be a lot more than your local council/parish etc has got on them. When I first approached our local library with the intent of researching the names(in case it had already been done)I was surprised to find out that the only details they had was a list of the names! The central library for our borough had the same list(they weren't sure if it was complete)and had no knowledge of anyone doing any research on it in the past. Considering how many local history books can be found in our library(many of which were written by a friends father who has since passed away)I could not believe that anything had ever been published on the memorial. Case in point being the plaques that were stolen for scrap value last year where the local council had no records of the names listed. Regards Sean

[spconnolly007]

I think it well worth considering chronological arrangement, because the men didn't serve or die in alphabetical order. Their service will most likely reflect the unfolding course of the war, with certain black days according to the engagements of local units. For instance 1st July 1916 pales into insignificance in Northamptonshire, where 9 May 1915 was the last day to dawn for so many local lads, when both regular battalions of the Northamptonshire Regiment were in action at Aubers Ridge.

Good point Kate, I had'nt even considered that order, back to the drawing board

[Steven Broomfield]

As a reader rather than a writer, could I suggest making sure that the book is properly proof-read?

Punctuation may be old-fashioned, but it does make a book easier to read.

Additionally, avoid supposition ("Bert would have thought ...", or "Fred would probably have seen this as he got off the bus ..."): if you don't know it, don't assume it.

Military terminology might be arcane, but try and avoid anachronisms (such as referring to the "Royal" Hampshires in the GW, for example).

And please don't refer to "heroes" at every opportunity. Oddly, most of them weren't; just ordinary blokes who did extraordinary things.

[Kate Wills]

Can you tell us more about about the nature of your research Sean? Unusually, your research includes civilians, who are seldom mentioned in most books.

[spconnolly007]

As a reader rather than a writer, could I suggest making sure that the book is properly proof-read?

Punctuation may be old-fashioned, but it does make a book easier to read.

Are you refering to my posts in general?

[spconnolly007]

Can you tell us more about about the nature of your research Sean? Unusually, your research includes civilians, who are seldom mentioned in most books.

Im yet to look into the individual civilian cases(as Ive got carried away with the soldiers)but I have CWGC details on most of them, and sadly there are a few surnames that are in batches of 2/3/4's. Living on the border of London/Essex and being within a mile of the Thames, I can only presume that these were from bombing raids(WW2). Back in the day, there were 2 munitions factories close to the Thames on the outskirts of our village, wether these were targeted Im yet to find out, but if you walk to the end of my road, you are also looking over what was Hornchurch aerodrome, another likely target. I have found one case where 2 adults(presumably both parents)and 2 children were all killed at the same address in 1945(apologies for being off topic). Going back to your point on listing alphabetically, I think its ingrained in us to do it that way after looking at so many WW1 memorials. Our local memorial is a bit slap dash because the stone has been engraved at different times and earlier names that have been missed have been added later. By listing them alphabetically, it seems to give it some order. It is a nice memorial by the way, set in a clock tower. Regards Sean

[Waddell]

Thank you for the detailed replies, there is a lot to think about. It’s good to see other members writing as well.

Chris, I take your point about being a readable book or purely a reference book. Ideally I think it can be both. I have another book about the history of a suburb during the war that is well written and readable. I have often thought that the author started off with a memorial project but as information was gathered it made more sense to lay it out chronologically, introducing the men as they enlisted and what they experienced as well as incorporating news of local happenings at the time.

This approach lead to him being able to avoid repetitiveness, which I have already noticed creeping into some of my biographies where men served during the same battles/ campaigns. Recently I have been writing an article about local men in a specific campaign and have found it a great way of connecting the men together and being able to write succinctly.

Kate’s mention of creating presentations also sounds like a good way of refining information as well.

Regarding details of campaigns and military structure, I raised that because I have had a few people, including relatives of men ask these sorts of questions after reading a biographical piece. There is a need for the reader to place in context where a man was at a specific time and why. The difficulty is in describing these briefly and correctly.

A suggested reading list may be a way around this, however I think some description is required of events if only to clarify exactly where the man was (Hope this makes sense!). Perhaps this is the stage where an editor is required?

So adding a few more positive things that work from contributions so far-

· Have a specific purpose why you are writing the book

· Focus on local impact

· Use of contemporary and modern photos

· Avoid repetition

· Contact family where possible and keep in mind you are writing about a relative

· Beware of scope creep

· Proof read and edit

· Avoid anachronisms

· Avoid supposition

This is a good discussion.

Scott