Great War Historical Fiction

[Terry_Reeves]

I agree what both of you have said, however you do have to be careful with Burrage, you cannot take for granted everything he says is true it seems to me. He is a very clever writer and knows exactly what he is doing - he plays plays games with his readers; that is what makes the book particularly interesting for me.

TR

[seaforths]

Now that's not one I've heard of before, must look for it. A favourite of mine, written for younger children (out of print alas), is Mary Rayner's The Echoing Green - set in England, a "time-slip" story with an episode from 1914 having repercussions in the twentieth century.

I've just managed to order a nice second hand copy of the Mary Rayner book for a fiver from abe and look forward to it arriving. I noticed it is illustrated by Michael Foreman. I recall listening to him giving a talk and saying how, at one time, he hated drawing horses because he found them so difficult to get right. He said he used to draw them behind high barriers such as hedges and fences so he only had to do the head! Needless to say, he went on to point out that because of War Horse he had improved considerably.

I also found this link but scanning the contents briefly, I think a couple of these are ww2 despite it supposed to be relating to ww1 children's books:

http://www.librarything.com/list/390/all/Childrens-Books-about-World-War-I-1914-1918-

[Marilyne]

For thse looking for a good child's book, there's one I loved... and lost to my sister actually, who is a dog handler with Belgian Police... that's Sam Angus's "Soldier Dog" ... loyal to the end. Quite predictable of course but soooooooooooo heartwarming!!!!

MM.

[kenf48]

Not read it but currently a Kindle bargain at Amazon where it has generally good reviews 'The Mad Game' Chris Cherry

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Mad-Game-Williams-Story-ebook/dp/B00GIOI2X4

Ken

[David Filsell]

As huge fan of John Harris' Covenant with Death, I have just located another of his books with a Great War (continuation in South Russia 1919)theme. A court case about accusations of cowardice in an action seem to be the subject. The book, Light Horse Action, is (the blurb says) as gripping as The Caine Mutiny. Currently on the pile to read when my Stand To reviews are finished. But at a fiver (in a decent dust jacket)- compared to £136 being asked for a dust jacketed copy of Covenant with Death, it seemed well worth a read. I was also amazed to learn the sheer number of novels which Harris wrote including The Sea Shall not have them (irrelevantly, it is said that on seeing the film title on the poster, noting that it starred Redgrave and Bogarde, Noel coward is claimed to have said, "I don't see why not, every one else has."

[Mark Hone]

Many years ago, having enjoyed 'Covenant...' I decided to read one of John Harris's Second World War books. I began to have distinct feelings of déjà vu and gradually realised that chunks of the book were , shall we say, rather closely based on sections of Lt Col Martin Lindsay's classic wartime memoir ' So Few Got Through' which I had read some time before. With the bumptiousness of youth I actually wrote to Mr Harris, via his publishers, pointing this out and highlighting the offending passages. I received a very splenetic handwritten reply which, sadly, I haven't kept but which basically said: 'where the bl!!dy hell do you think authors get their ideas from?' Mr Harris died a few years later and I've always felt a bit guilty about this as 'Covenant...' made a big impact on me at the time. It informed quite a bit of my early teaching on the Great War, particularly a Sheffield City Battalion role-play exercise I developed while on teaching practice in the Steel City.

[David Filsell]

As the great, greater - no, the greatest, Tom Lehrer once said, "plagiarise, plagiarise, let no one's work evade your eyes."

I once had a short noir crime story rejected because it was derivative, the agent was surprised when I emailed back of course it is - its crime noir. The fact that it concerned two sisters and a father who was a very stern general, may have over influenced her!

[David Ridgus]

As the great, greater - no, the greatest, Tom Lehrer once said, "plagiarise, plagiarise, let no one's work evade your eyes."

I once had a short noir crime story rejected because it was derivative, the agent was surprised when I emailed back of course it is - its crime noir. The fact that it concerned two sisters and a father who was a very stern general, may have over influenced her!

But the big question is, in your version did they find out what happened to the chauffeur. If they did I would have published it anyway

David

[Marilyne]

Has anyone, by any chance, read Reginald Hill's "No Man's Land" and has an opinion on it?? The library does not have it, so I can't just rent it and hope for the best...

MM.

[paulgranger]

A long time ago, and I don't recall much about it, except the plot was based on deserters living on the proceeds of raids on carrying parties, and there was probably a murder or murders. Sorry, not very useful, really.

[Mark Hone]

I seem to recall that this book has been discussed before on one or other of the threads about 'deserter gang' legends. These marauding bands turn up quite often in stories and films about the war, cf 'Anzacs', 'The Monocled Mutineer' and the comic strip 'Charley's War', amongst others.

Their historicity has been much debated.

[David Ridgus]

Has anyone, by any chance, read Reginald Hill's "No Man's Land" and has an opinion on it?? The library does not have it, so I can't just rent it and hope for the best...

MM.

Now, now Marilyne. 35 books still to read to fulfil your self denying ordinance. Why are you going in search of others ?

Hill is best known for the Dalziel and Pascoe books that became a TV series. Apparently this one off book on the Great War was prompted by reading an account of mythical soldiers living underground and preying on their fellows. I have been told that it is realistic and accurate in its portrayal of trench conditions. However for me the basic premise is a bit left field for my tastes (says the man currently reading 'Dead Man's Land' the premise of which is Dr Watson in the trenches! )

David

David

[Marilyne]

David, I'm researching... "Myths and Legends of the First World War" by James Hayward refers to the book, I've taken note of it and now I'm wondering if it's worth leaving in the notes...

But thank you very much for your concern on my work load!!!

M.

[Mark Hone]

Yes, Hayward in his book rubbishes the idea of the 'deserter gangs', but there have been some intriguing posts about their supposed activities on the Forum, including a fairly recent thread about a gang allegedly murdering battlefield pilgrims just after the war. Like most urban (or rather trench) legends, the reality is frustratingly difficult to pin down, even where stories such as the pilgrim murderers have appeared in the press. As Hayward points out, the deserter marauders have definitely become part of Great War folklore, as their continued appearance in stories about the conflict, like Hill's novel, confirms.

[seaforths]

I have seen a war diary entry referring to murderous and thieving gangs operating after the war had ended.

[Black Maria]

In 'Salute of Guns' by Donald Boyd he mentions the groups of deserters who hid around High Wood , living off what they could steal or taking from the dead bodies that lay around them.

[Mark Hone]

There is a definitive book/article about this phenomenon waiting to be written! Am I right in recalling that Henry Williamson was menaced by thuggish locals, rather than marauding deserters, on a postwar visit?

Although there are contemporary references to the deserter gangs, as mentioned above, these accounts tend to have the classic hallmarks of urban legend/'Friend of a Friend' stories in that they never seem to have been directly experienced by the person reporting them. I would be very interested if anyone could produce an actual eye witness account of a personal encounter with deserter bandits.

[seaforths]

After the war ended there was so much movement of people trying to get back to their homes, trying to locate family etc. starving and wearing a mish-mash of clothing with bits of uniform taken from the living and the dead, gang crime was rife. Many men returning from their respective war zones to find there was nothing to return to. Hardly surprising really but it may have given rise to tales of gangs of deserters.

[jtemple507]

Hello all,

I'm thoroughly surprised no-one has mentioned All Quiet On The Western Front. It's perhaps the most classic of all the fiction on the Great War!!!

Also, how good is Private Peaceful? I've wanted to read it but the only place I've seen it is on Amazon UK. I don't know how I'd get it here in the USA.

I've seen the War Horse movie and also a play rendition, but never read the book. I'm looking forward to, however. The next time I see it at a book sale I will most definitely be purchasing it.

[Lawsyd]

Today I have bought In The Shade Of a Willow (for reading on my Kindle). The blurb says it's about a Royal Navy reservist who sees action in both Gallipoli & the Western Front. The reviews, of course, all reckon that the book is the best thing since sliced bread. I'll let you know in a couple of month's time if I agree with the reviews so far.