Tuscania1918 Posted 26 November , 2012 Share Posted 26 November , 2012 I am seeking the best books about World War One and also the best on the subject of U-Boats. Does anyone also have suggestions for the best books writtwen by soldiers or those who took part in the war and covered it as journalists or writers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Prime Posted 26 November , 2012 Share Posted 26 November , 2012 In terms of general works on FWW I would suggest David Stevenson's 1914-1918 as a great read and also Hew Strachan's Oxford Illustrated History of The First World War, this is an edited volume and so features chapter from Tim Travers, David French, Holger Herwig, and many more well known historians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hastings Posted 26 November , 2012 Share Posted 26 November , 2012 Agree with the above, plus Forgotten Victory by Gary Sheffield; The Great War by Correlli Barnett ... Lots of posts on Forum reference first hand accounts, Lucy, Chapman, Richards, Eyre, Blunden, Dunn, Manning, Carrington, Rogerson, Frank Hawkings etc ... Tom Donovan's two compilations ... Then into years/battles ... MacDonald, Charles Messenger, Peter Hart, Malcolm Brown, Terraine Richard Holmes' Tommy a favourite ... Sorry aerial and naval stuff not my cuppa but sure fellow Forum members can advise or point to relevant posts Cheers Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wexflyer Posted 27 November , 2012 Share Posted 27 November , 2012 I think by far the best books about the Great War are the autobiographies of men who lived through it, e.g There's a Devil in the Drum for an enlisted man's perspective, and Goodbye to all That for an h'officers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Tom Posted 28 November , 2012 Share Posted 28 November , 2012 For Naval aspects I would suggest; Business in Grerat Waters by John Terraine, submarine warfare, and Castles of Steel by R.K. Massie for Naval Warfare in general. Old Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 28 November , 2012 Share Posted 28 November , 2012 If I understand the OP correctly the request is for books written by men who either served in WW1 or were journalists etc covering it - many of the books suggested, although otherwise excellent, are not this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodie31 Posted 29 November , 2012 Share Posted 29 November , 2012 Holger Herwig's The First World War is the definitive one-volume history for Germany and Austria-Hungary. He also has a good analysis of the U-Boat campaign. If Hew Strachan manages to complete his three volume set (of which volume 1 was published in 2001), it will be strongest overview of the entire war on all fronts. I also recommend Robin Prior's recent book on Gallipoli. For the Eastern Front, Norman Stone's 1976 book remains the standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 30 November , 2012 Share Posted 30 November , 2012 centurion, there are two sets of questions. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 1 December , 2012 Admin Share Posted 1 December , 2012 centurion, there are two sets of questions. Robert Or maybe three or perhaps one, maybe two, who knows? Anyway how about, History of the World War (1930) Liddell Hart [9/6 636 pages and 26 Maps) fulfils both tests and was described by the New Statesman as 'Incomparably the best short history of the war which has yet been written". Then again there's been quite a lot written since... For example ,The Donkeys by Alan Clark ('a shell burst of a book' The Economist) which only deals with 1915 defined the Great War for the majority of the Vietnam generation, so by definition was 'DEFINITIVE'. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yelob Posted 8 December , 2012 Share Posted 8 December , 2012 I would suggest Stevenson's book and then a read of this thread. It is a vast subject and there are so many areas... http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=9458&st=1375 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now