bushfighter Posted 25 May , 2012 Share Posted 25 May , 2012 There is a very interesting obituary here: http://www.telegraph...ul-Fussell.html He wrote about the realities rather than the jingoism - but when I look at the jingoism in many GWF threads I wonder if people actually do want the reality. Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 25 May , 2012 Share Posted 25 May , 2012 I like the descrioption of him as a "world-class curmudgeon". My sort of chap. Incidentally, I read The Great War and Modern Memory many years ago and I am ashamed to say I really can't remember much about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 25 May , 2012 Share Posted 25 May , 2012 Thanks for the link Harry. That's a good obit. It's probably even better than the one in today's Guardian, though the latter is saved by its link to an excellent eight year old article From the Guardian 31st July 2004 Military historian John Keegan, author of The First World War (1998) and a friend of Fussell's, calls The Great War a "simply superb book that will be read long after he's dead." He says its effect was "revolutionary", in that it showed how literature could be a vehicle for expressing the experience of large groups: "How many good books are there about the first world war at the individual level? What Paul did was go to the literary treatments of the war by 20 or 30 participants and turn them into an encapsulation of a collective European experience." Geoff Dyer, whose grandfather fought in the first world war and who cites Fussell as an influence on his book The Missing of the Somme (2001), sees him as a pioneer, "one of the first people to investigate the question of remembrance". Joseph Heller called The Great War "the best book I know of about world war one"... … … … … ... Fussell sees the accounts of survivors as central to any real understanding of war. He calls such writers "true testifiers" and says: "I think people who haven't been through it are unfit to write military history because what happens in close combat is absolutely unknowable - it's so fantastic what it does to you. The temptation to run away, especially if you're a leader of troops, almost never gets a look-in [in history books] and it's a very important part. It's a struggle about manhood as well as a struggle to keep from being hit from flying metal." see http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2004/jul/31/featuresreviews.guardianreview10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KF Kelly Posted 25 May , 2012 Share Posted 25 May , 2012 Very sad to learn of Prof. Fussell's death. I liked his book as much as for what it said as for the many other books it prompted me to read. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Bennitt Posted 25 May , 2012 Share Posted 25 May , 2012 Long time since I read it but I remember being impressed. Will have to look it out again RIP cheers Martin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxi Posted 26 May , 2012 Share Posted 26 May , 2012 He was a very good writer and it is about time I revisted his books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithfazzani Posted 26 May , 2012 Share Posted 26 May , 2012 He wrote about the realities rather than the jingoism - but when I look at the jingoism in many GWF threads I wonder if people actually do want the reality. Harry Sadly jingoism is not confined to these "pages" it is a strange phenomenon of recent years, where it comes from is a puzzle. I suspect it has something to do with the demise of historical knowledge and the romanticisim of some recent novels and TV series featuring war, however the latter may simply be a reflection of the jingoistic society to which it appeals. His excellent book should be read in schools alongside these romantic novels, but somehow I doubt it will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rose of picardy Posted 26 May , 2012 Share Posted 26 May , 2012 His study is innovative and one of the first books I read when I became interested in the War. He brings up so many stories and angles that resonate. I have his WWII study also-"Wartime"- but I don't like it quite as much. He also wrote a very sarcastic book about social classes in the US called (surprisingly!) "Class." I had it, but gave it away to someone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rose of picardy Posted 26 May , 2012 Share Posted 26 May , 2012 I have an addition. Booktv has a video of Paul Fussell discussing "The Great War and Modern Memory." I don't know if this will be geo-blocked for international viewers and I haven't watched it yet myself, but it may be of interest. http://www.booktv.org/Program/1597/The+Great+War+and+Modern+Memory.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 26 May , 2012 Share Posted 26 May , 2012 George MacDonald Fraser wasn't a fan, CF 'Quartered Safe Out Here'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pietro Posted 26 May , 2012 Share Posted 26 May , 2012 In my opinion his book is the best! It's the one I recommend for anyone interested in the war, it makes it relevant to our society today and how we perceive the memory we don't actually possess. But then that's the title, I suppose. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Bennitt Posted 27 May , 2012 Share Posted 27 May , 2012 more obits here http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/24/books/paul-fussell-literary-scholar-and-critic-is-dead-at-88.html?_r=2&hp and here http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/the_dilettante/2012/05/paul_fussell_remembering_the_author_of_the_great_war_and_modern_memory.single.html cheers Martin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBully Posted 27 May , 2012 Share Posted 27 May , 2012 I have to admit that 'Great War and Modern Memory' is one of the many books that I have bought and never got round to reading. Have started the book this afternoon after seeing this thread and got through about 130 pages. Quite impressed so far. Michael Bully Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 27 May , 2012 Share Posted 27 May , 2012 I have an addition. Booktv has a video of Paul Fussell discussing "The Great War and Modern Memory." I don't know if this will be geo-blocked for international viewers and I haven't watched it yet myself, but it may be of interest. http://www.booktv.or...ern Memory.aspx Thank you so much for that link I found it fascinating viewing regards Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth505 Posted 9 June , 2012 Share Posted 9 June , 2012 The Great War and Modern Memory IMO is a very worthwhile and rewarding read. I find I agree w/Keegan - revolutionary is not too strong a description. It has been noted by others on this forum that it is a tough read but it's worth the effort to push on. It's a book I recollect now frequently when considering how modern conflicts are presented to us through the media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 9 June , 2012 Share Posted 9 June , 2012 It has been noted by others on this forum that it is a tough read but it's worth the effort to push on Encouraged by this thread, I have just bought a very nice copy via Abe (it's the illustrated edition published by Sterling of NY in 2009) and so far I am about a third of the way through it. At the same time, I have gone back to reading Max Egremont's 'Siegfried Sassoon – a life' and I find that Fussell is a great help in understanding both Sassoon and Graves (I will have to catch-up with Blunden at some later point.) Fussell's insights and examples from his wider experience (WWII) and research, including the time he spent at the IWM, make this a worthwhile read, even beyond the immediate area of Great War literature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex revell Posted 9 June , 2012 Share Posted 9 June , 2012 John Keegan asked: 'How many good books are there about the First World War at the individual level.' Strangely ill read for a so called renowned historian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 9 June , 2012 Share Posted 9 June , 2012 quote from the Telegraph obit: The military historian John Keegan described its effect as “revolutionary”, in that it showed how literature could be a vehicle for expressing the experience of large groups: “How many good books are there about the First World War at the individual level? What Paul did was go to the literary treatments of the war by 20 or 30 participants and turn them into an encapsulation of a collective European experience.” Perahps Keegan's emphasis was on the word "good"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 9 June , 2012 Share Posted 9 June , 2012 Fussell has more recently been criticised for some aspects of the book. But it remains an important work and one which I have reread a number of times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBully Posted 9 June , 2012 Share Posted 9 June , 2012 I have now finished 'Great War and Modern Memory' : Felt that it was useful in challenging my own approach to Great War history, but feel that it is the sort of book that will have to read a couple more times ( at least ) to fully appreciate. Shame it took the death of the author to start reading it. Regards, Michael Bully Fussell has more recently been criticised for some aspects of the book. But it remains an important work and one which I have reread a number of times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex revell Posted 9 June , 2012 Share Posted 9 June , 2012 Michaeldr, Well, There are still plenty of good ones, by anyone's standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth505 Posted 10 June , 2012 Share Posted 10 June , 2012 I felt compelled to watch 'Oh What a Lovely War' again after finishing. It made more sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bswan Posted 29 August , 2012 Share Posted 29 August , 2012 I have now finished 'Great War and Modern Memory' : Felt that it was useful in challenging my own approach to Great War history, but feel that it is the sort of book that will have to read a couple more times ( at least ) to fully appreciate. Regards, Michael Bully I felt exactly the same when I read it Michael. It helped me achieve a much better understanding of the cultural, social and political influences that have impacted on how the war has been interpreted by different generations. This is a book that I too intend to read again at some point. Billy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBully Posted 29 August , 2012 Share Posted 29 August , 2012 Hello Billy Yes , I am due for another reading of 'Great War and Modern Memory'. I have found an interesting interview with Paul Fussell here http://net.lib.byu.edu/estu/wwi/comment/fussell.htm Hard hitting comments on the Great War and religion : SImilar views to be found in CE. Montague's 'Disenchantment'. (1922) Regards Michael Bully I felt exactly the same when I read it Michael. It helped me achieve a much better understanding of the cultural, social and political influences that have impacted on how the war has been interpreted by different generations. This is a book that I too intend to read again at some point. Billy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bswan Posted 30 August , 2012 Share Posted 30 August , 2012 Hello Billy Yes , I am due for another reading of 'Great War and Modern Memory'. I have found an interesting interview with Paul Fussell here http://net.lib.byu.e...ent/fussell.htm Hard hitting comments on the Great War and religion : SImilar views to be found in CE. Montague's 'Disenchantment'. (1922) Regards Michael Bully Thanks for the link Michael. In the interview I noted that he described Frederic Manning's The Middle Parts of Fortune as...an excellent account of the British First World War. I'm not familiar with this work but it seems to be highly regarded. I will give it a try when I've finished reading the Sassoon 'Sherston' trilogy. Best wishes Billy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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