Trench literature - Reading in World War 1

[CarylW]

Noticed this section in Abe books about the books an ordinary soldier in the trenches would be reading (and probably those out of the trenches too!)

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/books/world-war-soldiers-reading-kipling/trench-literature.shtml

Popular authors were apparently John Buchan, Rudyard Kipling, H G Wells, Nat Gould and also perhaps surprisingly, according to a War Illustrated article, there was a demand for romance and in particular Jane Austen.

Just a small selection of popular authors obviously and not a comprehensive listing but I would have expected to see Dickens mentioned (?)

[centurion]

I suspect that the physical size of the books might have been a significant factor. Veterans of WW2 have told me that Penguin was a favourite then -not because of the list of authors but because they would fit in a battle dress breast pocket. In WW1 there were also pocket size publications (one of which - MacMilllan- published Kipling amongst others and also Wyeman who produced Conan Doyle). Sheer portability must have been a factor.

[David Ridgus]

Noticed this section in Abe books about the books an ordinary soldier in the trenches would be reading (and probably those out of the trenches too!)

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/books/world-war-soldiers-reading-kipling/trench-literature.shtml

Popular authors were apparently John Buchan, Rudyard Kipling, H G Wells, Nat Gould and also perhaps surprisingly, according to a War Illustrated article, there was a demand for romance and in particular Jane Austen.

Just a small selection of popular authors obviously and not a comprehensive listing but I would have expected to see Dickens mentioned (?)

I think it's the mention of Austen that is jarring. All the other authors mentioned could be seen as 'modern' in terms of setting and subject matter - even Kipling. Poetry seems to have been a different matter with Palgrave's Golden Treasury being a particular favourite. Perhaps I'm thinking about officers though. When I imagine reading in the trenches it tends to be images of wounded officers laying in shell holes reading Aeschylus in the original Greek (Harold Macmillan at the Somme I think).

When it comes to Dickens I think it's Centurion's point of portability, plus many of them are a pretty tough read. Dragging yourself around at Third Ypres was bad enough without being weighed down by 'Dombey and Son' (physically and metaphorically!)

David

[seaJane]

Kipling's story "The Janeites" could easily lead one to believe that Austen was being read in the trenches but I'd need more proof.

[CarylW]

Yes, of course, (posts #2&3) no doubt size and weight would be an important consideration, although there were minature editions of books, including Dickens, (and short stories) but perhaps harder to read smaller script with whatever light was available(?)

Now keeping it seasonal, there are a couple of online references to a Captain Corbett-Smith reading 'A Christmas Carol' aloud to soldiers in the trenches. Did this happen, and if so who was he and where did it happen?

Edit: Jane, not proof but a Telegraph article about the prescription of Austen to soldiers suffering from shell shock

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/ways-with-words/10164668/Ways-With-Words-2013-Jane-Austen-prescribed-as-antidote-to-the-horrors-of-WW1.html

[CarylW]

Book on archive.org called 'Books in Camp, Trench and Hospital' 1917

https://archive.org/details/booksincamptrenc00kochrich

Gives details of agencies supplying books including British Red Cross and Order of St John War Library and Young men's Christian Association. YMCA organised collections of books

Lists popular books, including 'light-to-hold' editions of Thackerey, Dickens, Edgar A Poe, Kipling and Meredith. Detectives were popular including Sherlock Holmes. A group of Dickens enthusiasts at a base camp. Demand for books was huge. Malta asked for ten thousand for the hospitals. Soldiers in Salonika requesting books on Greek history. Miss Austen is on one list of requested books. Nat Gould seems to have been popularily requested. Rider Haggard too.

There is also a list of requested books from patients in the Endell street Military Hospital and a list of the wide variety of subjects requested, including architecture, gardening, coal-mining, languages, meteorology, printing, paper making, engineering, violin making and more.

[WhiteStarLine]

Hi Caryl,

Paul Fussell's book 'The Great War and Modern Memory' (OUP 1975) goes into a lot of detail on who was reading what and why. It is a most interesting read and attempts to differentiate based on rank / education etc.

My cousin still has a first edition of Sassoon's poetry, purchased by my grandfather around 1920. He was an Australian sapper. His local newspaper from Deniliquin (quite a remote Australian town), was available on the front line, so a fair bit of reading matter for all ranks!

[Khaki]

I wonder what proportion of soldiers were illiterate?

khaki

[centurion]

I wonder what proportion of soldiers were illiterate?

khaki

In terms of both the British and German armies most of them were literate as both countries had compulsory schooling at primary level so they would be able to read and write at least to a basic level. Both Eksteins and Todman discuss this. Soldiers who couldn't read would be a damn nuisance in an age of technological warfare.

[Guest exuser1]

I asume this may have also been the same for British troops but have picked up over the years in France various French penny dreadfull style books of the adult varity that French troops would read .

[CarylW]

According to 'Books in Camp, Trench and hospital' booksellers ran out of the favourite authors series of sevenpenny and shilling books and they were so in demand because of their handy size and good print. Penny novelettes also popular. Single volume Shakespeare plays popular too for their thinness of volume.

Stating the obvious, but there were plenty of well educated, and self educated intelligent men across all the ranks and might be safe to say that all tastes could be catered for.

I'm reading a book at the moment about a chaplain on board a hospital ship and one of his duties was to distribute books to the wounded on board - apparently hospital ships were well supplied and restocked with books for each voyage.

I expect the bible might have been a popular choice too

[CarylW]

Hi Caryl,

Paul Fussell's book 'The Great War and Modern Memory' (OUP 1975) goes into a lot of detail on who was reading what and why. It is a most interesting read and attempts to differentiate based on rank / education etc.

My cousin still has a first edition of Sassoon's poetry, purchased by my grandfather around 1920. He was an Australian sapper. His local newspaper from Deniliquin (quite a remote Australian town), was available on the front line, so a fair bit of reading matter for all ranks!

Sounds interesting and I see there's now a kindle version. What did the author write on who was reading what and why?

[centurion]

You do need to be careful with him though as he sometimes quotes things that are just plain wrong. For example quite early in the book he talks about the height requirement being drastically reduced in 1914 as causalities start to occur in large numbers. What in fact happened (and is adequately documented in contemporary official documents) was that the height requirement was initially increased as there were such large numbers of volunteers coming forward that the army couldn't initially cope and then reduced back to its original level as the flood became manageable (his references show that he has taken the information from the"The thin yellow line" a somewhat polemical source and possibly not checked them as they reinforce his own leanings) Dan Todman's "The Great War Myth and Memory" covers much the same ground but is much less partial and also better researched (and a better read to boot)

[CarylW]

I wonder what proportion of soldiers were illiterate?

khaki

Yes quite, and probably impossible to ever know. In a section in the book above (Books in Camp, Trench and Hospital) about Endell Street Military Hospital and their own collecting and distribution of books for patients there is this 'There were some patients who had never learned to read. With the exception of one they were miners' and goes on to say that 'men who were not naturally readers went on to develop the habit while in hospital' I'm sure we all know people who are by no means illiterate but just never read books, so perhaps the latter part would apply to those types but wonder if the former applied to those who were actually illiterate and why miners? Leaving school early to work down the pit?

[Sue Light]

Book on archive.org called 'Books in Camp, Trench and Hospital' 1917

https://archive.org/details/booksincamptrenc00kochrich

This looks very good and I've just downloaded it - a good find!

Sue

[Honora]

With regard to miners being illiterate, there were many rough illierate miners in the North Somerset Coalfield in the early twentieth century but there were also - to my knowledge - many others who rated education highly, and self education in particular. Methodism and Socialism were important to many miners in these areas, and there are instances of miners becoming Methodist leaders and activists in local Socialist politics.

To take an extreme example, Somerset born Mark Starr (see ODNB entry and www.autodidactproject.org/other/starr2.html‎ ) studied with the Workers' Educational Association in South Wales, won a scholarship to the Central Labour College in London. It was his political views that led him to become a conscientous objector and tospend a brief time in prison. (If one may mention COs on this website...)

Any information anyone has on Mark Starr as a CO, other than the two sources given would be much welcomed.

I'm just about to download Books in Camp, Trench and Hospital' 1917

Many thanks

Honora

[CarylW]

With regard to miners being illiterate, there were many rough illierate miners in the North Somerset Coalfield in the early twentieth century but there were also - to my knowledge - many others who rated education highly, and self education in particular. Methodism and Socialism were important to many miners in these areas, and there are instances of miners becoming Methodist leaders and activists in local Socialist politics.

To take an extreme example, Somerset born Mark Starr (see ODNB entry and www.autodidactproject.org/other/starr2.html‎ ) studied with the Workers' Educational Association in South Wales, won a scholarship to the Central Labour College in London. It was his political views that led him to become a conscientous objector and tospend a brief time in prison. (If one may mention COs on this website...)

...

Honora

Honora

Thanks for that. I was a bit puzzled by the reference in the book and didn't seriously mean to imply that all or even any miners were illiterate. I'm sure there are many examples of those who weren't. Hadn't come across it before and it may not have been correct or perhaps just one of those odd co-incidences that happen now and then (particularly in hospitals and I speak from experience!).

COs are discussed quite often on here. A member called Magnusbellum is one that appears to be quite knowledgeable about the subject and may know more about the man you mentioned. Might be an idea to start a new topic though maybe in the 'At Home: Politics and Society' section and ask about the man you're researching. You'd probably have more help.

Edit: Forgot to say that I have miners in my family history, from Edge Green near Wigan Lancs. They were also Methodists. One of them was a lay preacher.

[David Ridgus]

Sounds interesting and I see there's now a kindle version. What did the author write on who was reading what and why?

A very controversial book and one I would be very wary of. To say Mr Fussell had an agenda would be putting it mildly. I saw his book once described as an intellectual academic's version of 'Oh What a lovely War'. Todman and Gregory are streets ahead in terms of research and even handedness. I think Gregory's 'The Last Great War' is the best social history of the period

David

[centurion]

A very controversial book and one I would be very wary of. To say Mr Fussell had an agenda would be putting it mildly. I saw his book once described as an intellectual academic's version of 'Oh What a lovely War'. Todman and Gregory are streets ahead in terms of research and even handedness. I think Gregory's 'The Last Great War' is the best social history of the period

David

Dead right

[nigelcave]

I am afraid I never took to that particular work (ie PF's).

My grandfather (7/Leicesters) ran a library (I kid you not) when the battalion was at Berles au Bois/Bienvillers - he was the CQMS - for many months summer 1915- July 1916; he comments in his diary couple of times on the number of books he was getting in from Leicester (110 (Leicesters) Brigade, 37th Division). He also comments, by the way, on a rugger match that had to be abandoned because 'a shell fell on the field of play'.

[CarylW]

Regarding those who couldn't read or write. A book I'm reading at the moment 'Fifty thousand miles on a hospital ship' written by a chaplain on board a hospital ship (also downloadable from archive.org) has this written by the chaplain who distributed books and reading matter to the patients on board 'In Ward A there is quite a percentage of men who cannot read. It is hard to understand how they managed to escape the clutches of the School Inspector. There is a lad of twenty-two recovering from dysentery, who previous to the War was a packer. He declares that he can neither read nor write and the worst of it is seems to have no ambition to learn. I have tried to stir him up by taking him an illustrated paper and saying 'you can have this if you can make out the words on top. If not I shall give it to somebody else'. The legend ran "For the men at the Front" and it took quite a long time to spell it out and eventually he accomplished it. I've threatened him that if we were not so near home I should give him some reading lessons every day'.

Recovering from a debilitating illness though probably wouldn't have been the best circumstances to learn a new skill, although the chaplain would most probably have had the best of intentions. Maybe the young patient said he couldn't read thinking he might have a bit of peace!

(The chaplain also mentions a Durham miner who was a prolific reader and a political debater!)

Ian Hay 'The First Hundred Thousand' seems to have been a popular book and the chaplain himself quotes from it when lousy uniforms are being unloaded at the docks from the Dardenelles before they were put through the steriliser. Also mentioned in the other book upthread.

[TGM]

Snippet on Jane Austen as prescribed reading on Women's Hour : My friend Theresa May, Jane Austen, Summer solstice - mentions her C20th Editor Robert W Chapman (18th Heavy Battery Royal Garrison Artillery?) and Kiplin's Janeites etc

Edited 27 June , 2017 by TGM

[seaJane]

This is Richard Hannay in John Buchan's Mr Standfast:

 

"They were talking about some Russian novel—a name like Leprous Souls—and she asked me if I had read it. By a curious chance I had. It had drifted somehow into our dug-out on the Scarpe, and after we had all stuck in the second chapter it had disappeared in the mud to which it naturally belonged."

[David Filsell]

Interesting. To my shame, I have always struggled with the 'mud' of Russian novels. Turgenev (the Turgid) finally did it with me with A Year in the Country, after a few chapters I felt I had been given a life sentence.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

2 hours ago, David Filsell said:

Interesting. To my shame, I have always struggled with the 'mud' of Russian novels. Turgenev (the Turgid) finally did it with me with A Year in the Country, after a few chapters I felt I had been given a life sentence.

Do give Turgenev another try, David. He really is a wonderful writer. Try 'Fathers & Sons', 'Notes from a Sportsmans Album', 'On the Eve' or 'Smoke'.