yperman Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 I recently read 'The Reconstruction of Ieper' by Dominiek Dendooven and Jan Dewilde (OKV pub.) (available at Flanders Fields Museum). It gives a fascinating account of the damage to Ieper and I found deeply moving the account of how the Flemish people rebuilt their city. It has very 'user friendly' maps and matching photos and gives a number of clearly marked short walks . I think the most interesting one was No 7 which takes you to an alley off Slachthuisstraat where there is "The Little Hut" - a sort of 'pre-fab' put up to house the homeless population of Ieper immediately after the war. Reading this little book made me think maybe there should be more publications in English about what the Flemish went through on and off the battlefield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roel22 Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 For those who won't be visiting the IFF museum soon (like me) here's a link with some interesting info about the reconstruction (and the huts Yperman mentions) Roel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 I agree that there should be more books in English in particular on the subject of the repopulation of the devastated areas after the war both in Belgium and France as very little if anything is available now except some old books which are free on the net but do not cover the human aspect of this subject. It would also be good to see a book on the experiences of the subjugated populations during the conflict which to the best of my knowledge is not available in English at this time. Elsewhere on this forum can be found enquiries regarding any book again in English detailing the fighting in and around the French village of Vauquois and the history of the mine warfare which took place there. There are still many aspects of the conflict which do not receive the coverage that they deserve in the English language but we are spoilt for choice when it comes to the Somme or Passchendaele. Regards Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 It's all very well saying there should be more books - but someone has to be motivated to write them and publish them. Are they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithjk Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 Obviously not Chris, although the problem could be one of linguistic difficulties rather than motivation. My limited French and German would make the study of sources in those languages a very long, drawn-out business. So although I would love to be involved in a book about those areas, I fear it would take forever and a day. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 It's all very well saying there should be more books - but someone has to be motivated to write them and publish them. Are they? Personally, I don't think there's enough interest to make it worthwhile either. The British (and, I suppose, the English speaking world in general) can be very insular as regards their interests in the Great War (obviously,the Western Front didn't just run from the North sea to the River Somme, but just watch the faces glaze over if talking about anything further south than this... other than Verdun... to the average Brit with a general interest). How many English language books are there out there that are, supposedly, about the 'Western Front' or the Great War in general but just go into depth on the British area or the British contribution and simply gloss over the rest? ... Most? Elsewhere, and any other subject than the British, seems to appear to be 'specialist' and, so, have a far lower saleability in book format. Its a risk that, I suppose, many publishers aren't willing to take (and leads to a vicious circle where if the public don't know about the subject, they won't have an interest and so nothing will be published. If nothing is published, then the interest and knowledge won't be there and, therefore... etc, etc - so it goes on!)... and this is from a nation that whinges about (for example) the Australian 'take-over' of Fromelles and Gallipoli, then often does the same themselves to the whole war! As an example of interest... take the Trench Map CDs that I peddle. Within the English speaking world (namely the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) by far the biggest sellers over the past couple of years have been the Somme and Ypres CDs (in that order). Orders of these two alone outstrip the others combined whereas I'd have personally thought that the French Trenchmap CD (covering Belgium to Switzerland) would (and should) have had the most interest. Outside of France and Germany, these rarely sell on their own and are usually only bought as part of the Western Front multi-pack (though a few do go to the USA due to the AEF interest). Basically then, if its not about the British, or doesn't invlove the British sectors of the Western Front, then the chances are that a book would be far from being a best seller in the UK (though there is a little glimmer of light from the ex-colonies across the Atlantic) and would, in a UK publisher's eyes, probably not be a risk worth taking. Dave (though the steady increase of British registered cars that I've seen in the more southerly sections of the Western Front over the past decade or so, does give me hope that the Brits are at least beginning to take the blinkers off! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 You and Chris Baker may indeed well have a point but I think is a bit of a negative attitude and I cannot agree with your somewhat dismissive comments about the "Brits" after all they (we) have been fed a constant diet of Somme etc since the 1960`s and if the information is not out there then how can the visitor and student of the war possibly be aware of the other facets involved. The fact that tour companies, TV documentaries and books are focused on what appears to me to be a limited view has no doubt had an effect in creating the popular image of WW1. Given the ease with which e-books can now be "self-published" I see no reason whatsoever that the information available to those interested in the conflict cannot be made more accessible. Regards Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 ...they (we) have been fed a constant diet of Somme etc since the 1960`s and if the information is not out there then how can the visitor and student of the war possibly be aware of the other facets involved. The fact that tour companies, TV documentaries and books are focused on what appears to me to be a limited view has no doubt had an effect in creating the popular image of WW1... Isn't that pretty much what I hinted at in my second paragraph when referring to a 'vicious circle'? Given the ease with which e-books can now be "self-published" I see no reason whatsoever that the information available to those interested in the conflict cannot be made more accessible... Nor can I... other than the time and effort constraints and the feeling of 'is it really worth it anyway' (been there! ) Dave (not a negative attitude, really.... more a case of the results of personal observations (but, I agree, yes... my comments maybe were a little dismissive of the Brits in general - but the more I think about it, the less I am inclined to retract them! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 Personally, I don't think there's enough interest to make it worthwhile either. The British (and, I suppose, the English speaking world in general) can be very insular as regards their interests in the Great War (obviously,the Western Front didn't just run from the North sea to the River Somme, but just watch the faces glaze over if talking about anything further south than this... other than Verdun... to the average Brit with a general interest). How many English language books are there out there that are, supposedly, about the 'Western Front' or the Great War in general but just go into depth on the British area or the British contribution and simply gloss over the rest? ... Most? ...............ff Dave Dave, I want to applaud your accurate observation and your lenghty eloquent posting here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 So what about books by Jack Sheldon, or have you forgotten those? This may help: http://jacksheldon.net/. Norman (an average Brit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 So what about books by Jack Sheldon, or have you forgotten those? This may help: http://jacksheldon.net/. Norman (an average Brit) Norman, come on, an average Brit must not necessarily be uneducated. Oh I just realize from the link that Jack attended the same Führungsakademie in Hamburg as myself. He must be brilliant...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithjk Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 Surely, one reason for the (over ?) popularity of the Ypres and Somme battlefields is their proximity to Calais. It's OK for us 'more mature' people to tootle over for extended visits to Soissons, Rheims, Verdun and even further afield, but most people have to limit themselves to a long weekend. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 No! where do you get the fact that "most" people have to limit themselves to a long weekend"?, what about the vast numbers of coach companies taking thousands of average Brits to the battlefields daily and for much longer periods than a weekend. Norman An average Brit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithjk Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 I don't see many coach companies advertising trips to the Chemin des Dames, or the Vosges. Perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 Many of those coach companies you malign Norman have long been taking people to battlefields other than the British sector. In the last few years we have run regular tours to the Argonne, Champagne, Chemin des Dames, Marne and Verdun, we do tours to the Belgian sector between Dixmuide and Nieuport, and we did a Western Front explorer tour running from Nieuport to the Vosges; only two of the 9 days of the trip were in the "British sector". Other companies like Battle Honours and Holts have all done tours to non-British WW1 battlefields. It can be done, but equally the numbers signing up to them are not the same as for a 'general' British and Commonwealth biased tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 So what about books by Jack Sheldon, or have you forgotten those? This may help: http://jacksheldon.net/. Norman (an average Brit) Thank you for the link, Norman. I am fully aware of Jack's books - along with those of Ralph Whitehead, Anthony Clayton, Cristopher Duffy, Douglas Porch, Ian Passingham, Christina Holstein, etc., etc., which, combined, are a mere drop in the ocean of the published English language works of recent times... which was, of course, the reason behind the usage of the word 'most' as opposed to 'all' in post #6 (or was that not noticed?). There are also a number of French language works that have recently been translated into English by a couple of highly respected French military publishers ... ...I am also quite aware of those too, so you don't need to provide me with a link to them, thank you all the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yperman Posted 5 July , 2012 Author Share Posted 5 July , 2012 I seem to have started something of a debate with my little review of the 'Reconstruction of Ieper'. As a soon (Thank God!) to be retired History teacher I have to agree we Brits are insular in our view of the Great War. I agree too that there is little commercial incentive to publish further books (in English) on this (to Brits) specialised subject. And yet. I have taken over 2100 secondary school pupils to the Ieper area over my teaching career (and I am still nearly sane!) and I do feel that the Flemish (and French) civilian suffering and military contribution does not get ( in English - despite the excellent 'Rape of Belgium') sufficent prominence, not least in the 1914 and 1918 battles. Maybe I will have a go at doing a little bit on this topic using online self publishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KGB Posted 5 July , 2012 Share Posted 5 July , 2012 Writing books is easy, getting a publisher far harder. (Author of the Great Northern Irish Novel). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yperman Posted 5 July , 2012 Author Share Posted 5 July , 2012 Fair point KGB - I guess I was "doodling in the margin" - but I think it might prove to be an interesting post retirement project to do some research even if I can't get it self published online. So what's this "Great Northern Irish novel" then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithjk Posted 6 July , 2012 Share Posted 6 July , 2012 You have my undivided attention Paul, particularly with regard to the 'Explorer Tour'. Who are 'WE' ? Regards Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 6 July , 2012 Share Posted 6 July , 2012 Keith, I don't like to advertise my work here but a quick web search will tell you who 'WE' are. The explorer tour is currently off the books but may well come back for 2014. Several others do something similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6th Shropshires Posted 6 July , 2012 Share Posted 6 July , 2012 What's all this about us Brits being insular in our view of the Great War but we are no different to any other nation. Bet you 90 % of people with an interst in the Great War from France, Germany or what ever country know very little about British Battles. I think your average Brit with an interest in the Great War knows a damsite more about other counties involvment then those from the other counties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrislock Posted 6 July , 2012 Share Posted 6 July , 2012 And countries too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 6 July , 2012 Share Posted 6 July , 2012 What's all this about us Brits being insular in our view of the Great War but we are no different to any other nation. Bet you 90 % of people with an interst in the Great War from France, Germany or what ever country know very little about British Battles. I think your average Brit with an interest in the Great War knows a damsite more about other counties involvment then those from the other counties. I very much doubt that to be honest ... ... reading the French (and ,especially, modern) literature on the the Great War in general, even in the multiple periodicals and magazines that can be found in most newsagents, the British battles - esp. (the British bit of) the Somme, Arras and Ypres get just as much coverage (in fact, the French have quite recently being trying to 'push' their role in the Somme battle a little as many French only know about the British contribution!). The only real difference being that there is also more coverage of battles and battlefields elsewhere on the front too. As for the Germans, well, I think that ,as they were 'quite heavily' involved in most of the 'British' battles too, then they've got it pretty much covered anyway (as a look at the available German language (general Western Front) battlefield guides show quite clearly... as opposed to the Holts/Rose Coombs books (which are about the best in English for general coverage) that stop some 150 miles short of the end of the line). it's quite easy to go and purchase a book in French or German about, the Champagne, the Argonne, the Somme, Arras, Ypres, Artois (inc.Loos), Verdun, Alsace, the Woevre, the Chemin des Dames, the Aisne, the Belgian coast etc etc, covering most of the war. Practically impossible to obtain the the same coverage in English....which must say something! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr Posted 6 July , 2012 Share Posted 6 July , 2012 Well put Dave ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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