bmac Posted 27 September , 2012 Share Posted 27 September , 2012 Looking for something to recommend to someone totally new to the Great War but interested in finding out what her grandfather might have experienced. He served in various battalions of the Royal Irish Rifles in the 107th Brigade, 36th (Ulster) Division, through 1917/18 and may have been wounded in the Spring Offensive, possibly also at Langemarck. So, something not too technical, probably with lots of anecdotes and few photies. Any really hot recommendations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithmroberts Posted 27 September , 2012 Share Posted 27 September , 2012 Perhaps Martin Middlebrook, The Kaiser's Battle. Quite some time since I read it, but he is always readable. However it focusses pretty much on the first day of the offensive. Or our own PM Hart "1918 A Very British Victory" A third option would be "To win a war" by John Terraine. The Book by Peter Hart my be the best starter volume (don't tell him I said so). Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 27 September , 2012 Share Posted 27 September , 2012 I found the last of these to be a good read but only marginally better than the 2nd (and it may just be a matter of style preferences). You can't go too far wrong with either of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hastings Posted 27 September , 2012 Share Posted 27 September , 2012 Agree re: Peter Hart's and John Terraine's work, also found Malcolm Brown's IWM 1918 book useful too Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 27 September , 2012 Share Posted 27 September , 2012 But none of them talk about Langemarck. How about Cyril Falls' history of the 36th (Ulster) Division? As with all of Cyril's works, it is eminently readable and covers Third Ypres and Operation Michael. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmac Posted 27 September , 2012 Author Share Posted 27 September , 2012 Cheers for all that. Will pass the ideas onwards. Any specific 3rd Ypres suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 27 September , 2012 Share Posted 27 September , 2012 In terms of readability, I liked Leon Wolff's book "In Flanders' Fields". Hazel C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 27 September , 2012 Share Posted 27 September , 2012 In terms of readability, I liked Leon Wolff's book "In Flanders' Fields". Hazel C. But there are doubts about accuracy - already aired on this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 27 September , 2012 Share Posted 27 September , 2012 But there are doubts about accuracy - already aired on this forum. I know, but I still think it is well worth reading, with the same caveat as should be offered with any such book. Do your own research! Quite frankly, I am now re-reading books which were recommended when I first joined the Forum a couple of years ago, but which were hard for me to get into at the time. Not everyone is a military historian. Hazel C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWorrall Posted 27 September , 2012 Share Posted 27 September , 2012 3rd Ypres: Peter Barton's 'Passchendaele: unseen panoramas from the Third battle of Ypres'. Not the cheapest, but possibly the heaviest. A well-balanced and well-written book, easy to read, packed with photos, maps and diagrams to help explain it all. Possibly ideal for someone just setting out, who wants more than a textual account? Explains the build-up. Also covers Messines, when the 36th (Ulster) and 16th (Irish) divisions attacked side-by-side. Or, for a well-balanced textual work, which takes a look from every side, and at every aspect; Peter Liddle (editor): 'Passchendaele in Perspective'. With contributions from many notable military historians. Can be devoured a chapter at a time, so it's not too heavy-going. Spring Offensives: David Stevenson 'With our backs to the wall: victory and defeat in 1918' has good material. Middlebrook has already been mentioned by Keith in post #2 above. For personal accounts, see Lyn MacDonald 'To the last man, Spring 1918'. One day only, like Middlebrook, and not thoroughly-well-researched (a tendency to take what the veterans say as gospel, without verification), but excellent for flavour. Ian Passingham 'The German offensives of 1918: Ludendorff's last desperate gamble', covers all the bases. And for the 'Georgette' battle alone some chappy by the name of Baker, (who has been known to hang around these parts, see post #5 above), did a really good job with his 'The battle for Flanders: German defeat on the Lys 1918' Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigelcave Posted 28 September , 2012 Share Posted 28 September , 2012 From the German side, Jack Sheldon's The German Army at Passchendaele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cockney Posted 30 September , 2012 Share Posted 30 September , 2012 "They called it Passchendaele" by Lyn MacDonald might also be a good starter - at least on 3rd Ypres; readable and atmospheric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 30 September , 2012 Share Posted 30 September , 2012 "They called it Passchendaele" by Lyn MacDonald might also be a good starter - at least on 3rd Ypres; readable and atmospheric. i would agree; again with the caveat that after further reading it will be "outgrown". h.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil andrade Posted 30 September , 2012 Share Posted 30 September , 2012 In terms of readability, I liked Leon Wolff's book "In Flanders' Fields". Hazel C. Agreed. Many of us forumites get very sniffy about it : with good reason, since it is a little redolent of the " donkeys" genre....but it is a good read, and made a deep impression on me. Phil (PJA) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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