In Flanders Flooded Fields

[yperman]

I've just read Paul Van Pul's "In Flanders Flooded Fields" (Pen and Sword) - a fascinating account of how the Belgians flooded the polders in front of their lines in 1914. It gives, in minute detail, how they pulled off a remarkable bit of engineering. It also makes it clear what a close run thing it was too.

For me the most interesting part was the explanation of the complex politics involved. I had not thought how -to a Belgian in 1914 - France was not automatically seen as a disinterested ally but rather a power whose motives required watching. The book also explains the delicate position King Albert was in and his determination to maintain Belgian control - for political reasons- of a part of his Kingdom.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the opening phases of the war as it completes the story of the build up to Ist Ieper/Ypres.

Yperman

[Chris_Baker]

a power whose motives required watching.

As indeed was Great Britain. You are right - the Belgian position, politics and military actions are complex and of great interest. I used to give a couple of WFA branch talks about it (one concentrating on 1914 and one on the war of the Yser for the rest of the time) and was always astonished at how little most people in the audience had heard of or appreciated the Belgian stuggle. "In Flanders Flooded Fields" is a book I keep meaning to read. Off to find a copy!

[Jack Sheldon]

It is an excellent account of an important phase of the war. The only pity is that the translation is terrible and lets down the author who is clearly extremely knowledgeable. However, persevere with it and you will learn a lot - I did anyway.

Jack

[cdr]

I quite agree. Interesting book but hard to read. Mr. Paul van Pul is an hydraulics engineer (and was an officer in the Belgian army (reserves)

Carl

[David Filsell]

The book really is worth the efort of working through the translation - it's about the only book on the subject in English and fascinating.

[Robert Dunlop]

Jack, I enjoyed your description of how the inundations affected the German offensive in late 1914. I don't know if van Pul's book discusses this aspect. If not then 'The Germans at Ypres 1914' is a useful supplement.

Robert

[Marilyne]

It is indeed a fantastic book..; bought it a few years ago and used it to write the Yzer Historical Guides of 2009 and 2012, as the march was passing through the locks. I like the way the political, tactical and technical aspects are intertwined in telling the story.

Marilyne

[connaughtranger]

I don't think this book has been translated, there is no acknowlegement to a translator and it's been made clear that the book was produced on a shoe-string budget. I think perhaps Van Pul is a fluent English speaking Fleming who has produced an English version of his original publication. Once near Passendale we stopped beside a mobile grocer's in a village to ask for directions. He was speaking to a customer in Dutch so I waited. When she had gone I asked him, in French, if he spoke French or English. His reply was "Both" And he was a mobile grocer!! Look forward to the day when English military authors produce Flemish version of their books for the Belgian market. Some of the dross in English that oozes out of pens in this country - present company excepted - is frightening. Ever read Burnley Battery, or perhaps seen the latest news story of the shooting in France, entitled on BBC News Channel as "France Shootings"?

[Jack Sheldon]

I think that it has been translated - whoever did it. Look at the note on p xiii, viz. 'This book was first published in Dutch in 2004 under the title: 'Oktober 1914. Het koningrijk gered door de zee ...' Bit of a giveaway, I should say.

Jack

[Aurel Sercu]

Yes, originally in Dutch.

http://www.wo1.be/ned/literatuur/boeken/krijger/Oktober1914.htm

Aurel

[connaughtranger]

Yes I did mention his original edition, oddly enough, in Post 8. The point, lost on most English people, is that a fluent language speaker does NOT TRANSLATE. He/she simply knows what to say, albeit with occasional unusual turns of phrase. I had the pleasure in the late 1960's of attending courses at the Sorbonne and sitting in cafes carrying out conversations in English, French and German. Everyone followed the topics, mainly student unrest, sometimes speaking in their native language, sometimes in the other 2. We didn't carry a dictionary to translate what we wanted to say into another language, it was already formed. It wasn't translating, it was speaking and understanding a foreign language.

We treat language learning in this country with contempt; there appears to be no long-term planning in education so one government almost phases it out, then the next arrives on the scene begging for teachers who might have a foreign phrasebook and a dog-eared dictionary to teach GCSE. University of Milan is carrying out all its courses in English and many German schools have been teaching ALL subjects in English to higher sets for more than a decade.

My point again: I think Mr Van Pul was able to present an English version with very little recourse to grammar or dictionary. Poor speakers of a language have to translate, fluent ones don't. Maybe I haven't explained the subtle nuance very successfully

[Jack Sheldon]

Well I agree with almost everything there and, unless and until, I have the Dutch version in front of me and can compare the texts, I suppose that we shall never know if the English version is a just re-write in another language or whether Mijnheer van Pul was indeed trying to capture every nuance of the original in English - in which case it is a translation. However, none of this matters. As I said previously, this is a book worth getting to know. The information in it is fascinating and detailed.

Jack

[AOK4]

Hello,

Paul Van Pul has emigrated to Canada some years ago and lives there in Saskatoon. I'm not sure, but perhaps he has translated the book himself?

Jan

[connaughtranger]

As I said previously, this is a book worth getting to know. The information in it is fascinating and detailed.

Jack

I agree with you there, very much a book worth reading and containing lots of new material. After too much cider my post stemmed from thoughts on Samuel Beckett's En attendant Godot. Being Irish and bi-lingual, did he conceive the play in his mind in English and then publish in French, or was it purely a French piece? Waiting for Godot, which appeared in English theatres 2 years later, was it his original conception or did someone else 'translate' it back into his native language from the original French?

You can see how much cider I'd had!

[Marilyne]

the theory that Mr. Van pul wrote the translation himself is more than just a theory...

the fact that Dutch and Flemish speak so good english is quite simple: all English spoken television programmes in the Netherlands and Flanders are left as they are with subtitles, and this starting with programmes for 12 year olds. This means that they are confronted with the english language far earlier and on a more complete way than the French and the wallonians, who translate everything. (Horrible by the way... Try Lord of the Rings, the movie in French... pure torture !! )

that's why they are far better in English!!

MM.

[Don]

I have read it and it's a very good read indeed I would recomend it