"The War The Infantry Knew"

[The Scorer]

I have known about this book for a whille, but have only recently decided to read it - and I'm very glad that i did!

I think that it's a classic, and I'm surprised that there's not already a (very) long thread on here already (If there is, and the Search engine missed it, I apologise!). It goes into so much detail that I had to read a lot of it twice or three times to make sure that I understood what Captain Dunn (and his fellow contributors) were saying. The descriptions given by everyone of the action (and, sometimes, the lack of it) are excellent, and made it all come to life.

It's apparent that Captain Dunn in particular didn't have much time for most of the senior officers in the Battalion or further up the line. Given his comments on numerous occassions, I'm surprised that we actually won the war, as his view is that they were incompetent, and shouldn't have been in positions of power.

I did enjoy it, and would recommend it to anyone.

[Guest]

There are quite a few. If you go to Advanced Search input exactly "the war the infantry knew" including inverted commas, and select 'only search in titles' there are four or five threads that will interest you. The secret is to wrap the term in inverted commas. The search function is much better than it used to be.

Cheer Mike

Edit, it is one of the many I have yet to read, and I will add it to my 'to read' list

[keithfazzani]

Got there before me, as you say there are several specific threads and the book is mentioned in many others.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

One of the finest books to come out of the War. It's been reprinted a couple of times I believe but the original is rather scarce - £1500 on ABE. Now would be a good time for a new edition. Preferable to some of the doorstoppers being issued at the moment.

[SilverFox100]

I read this book shortly after I had started to investigate WW1 in a bit more detail than I knew before, really enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone that wants to know about what happened. I would agree as well, you do need to re-read parts and I already have it on the 'must read again' pile, which is growing.

Mike

[Dave Phillips]

I try to read it at least once a year.

In my option one of the best!

Dave

[Stoppage Drill]

I find it valuable to read along with copies of Goodbye to All That and Old Soldiers Never Die close to hand. A junior officer and a private soldier in the same battalion.

[Steven Broomfield]

. A junior officer and a private soldier in the same battalion.

I think that was quite common, actually.

Memoirs of an Infantry Officer or various other autobiographical works by Sassoon, too, I suppose might be useful.

[David Filsell]

Wow, I have a 1938 edition of this terrific, and important book. I had no idea of its value. It's not in the best condition but what the

hell. I bought it from the Great Bertam Rota in 1986 for £25 (free postage. Not a bad return on capital employed and pleasure gained. Because as well know it aint about the money in the final analysis.

[IanA]

One of the finest books to come out of the War.

"One"? That's damning with faint praise. This is a glorious book. A paragon of a book. A non plus ultra of a book. Written by a man steeped in the regimental tradition who retained (though heavily disguised) his humanity and feeling for his fellow man. We Scots have a saying for it - "Pure dead brilliant, by ra wey".

[Dust Jacket Collector]

OK I'll withdraw the "One" but I am rather fond of Adams 'Nothing of Importance' & Lucy's 'Devil in the Drum'.

[WilliamRev]

I think that this is about the best first-hand account of the war; added to which it relates in detail what the 19th Brigade were up to in 1915, and I can work out the many incidents which may have involved my grandfather, who in that year was a private in the (Territorial) 5th Scottish Rifles, the 19th Brigade's Brigade's "terriers", who get very favourable mentions (and rather amusingly it is noted that they didn't get on at all well with 1st Scottish Rifles [Cameronians] also in the brigade).

I bought a second-hand copy of the 2004 Abacus paperback reprint for several pounds from Amazon (using the forum link, of course), and have read it twice; I must read it again soon

William

[IanA]

OK I'll withdraw the "One" but I am rather fond of Adams 'Nothing of Importance' & Lucy's 'Devil in the Drum'.

I am also fond of Adams and very fond of Lucy but they lack the breadth of Dunn. When thou hast Dunn, thou hast not Dunn, for i have more...

[charlesmessenger]

My original copy (purchased in Blackwell's second hand book department in Oxford in 1964) has a pencilled note that only 500 copies of the orginal edition were published. I don't regret that my copy is too well thumbed to be worth much. I treasure it too much to think of selling.

Charles M

[Guest]

I picked up classic old book from 1972 a few weeks ago, for nothing. A book ahead of it's time, I reckon. " Trench fighting 1914-18 " by a (very dapper, and young looking) Charles Messenger.

Mike

[David Filsell]

Lucy is most certainly way up there. It must be recognised that he had a far smaller canvas to work on than Dr Dunn.

[charlesmessenger]

I picked up classic old book from 1972 a few weeks ago, for nothing. A book ahead of it's time, I reckon. " Trench fighting 1914-18 " by a (very dapper, and young looking) Charles Messenger.

Mike

Those were the days ...

Charles M

[barkalotloudly]

it is indicated that Dunn took control of the battalion during the 3rd

it is indicated that Dunn took control of the battalion during the 3rd ypres for a few days I don't think his papers relating to the writing of this book were ever found ..now there would be an interesting collection!!

[The Scorer]

There are quite a few. If you go to Advanced Search input exactly "the war the infantry knew" including inverted commas, and select 'only search in titles' there are four or five threads that will interest you. The secret is to wrap the term in inverted commas. The search function is much better than it used to be.

Cheer Mike

Thank you ... I've done as you suggest, and they are very good and very interesting.

My copy came from the library, and I've had to take it back - the fine would have been too much if I'd kept it! I'll have to look for a new copy to but from somewhere!

[paulgranger]

Thank you ... I've done as you suggest, and they are very good and very interesting.

My copy came from the library, and I've had to take it back - the fine would have been too much if I'd kept it! I'll have to look for a new copy to but from somewhere!

Not sure how well-off you are, or, indeed, where you are, but Amazon UK are offering used copies from a variety of sources for around £5 including postage,

[Marilyne]

I read it on Christmas holiday last year. It's great but... looooong .... so much details and pages to mark!!

but all in all a great book. And most importantly, it gives a great view of the life of a Bn in and out of the line, which is the best.

M.M

[Muerrisch]

May I humbly advertise my "Duty Done" here ........ I still have a few copies of the second edition [a big improvement on the first] available for supplicants

It was inspired by Dunn's book [hence the pun] and attempts to decode, elaborate, provide biographies, photos, maps, time-lines .......

This is the Foreword:

Foreword

It is no exaggeration to say that more has been written about the Royal Welch Fusiliers than any other regiment in the British – or for that matter any other – Army. Much of it has been written by members of the regiment and although this was a particular feature of the Great War, it has been true since Lieutenant Saumarez and Sergeant Lamb wrote of their experiences in the American Revolutionary War. David Langley’s Duty Done is therefore in that fine tradition – and it is a most worthy addition to it. The book first appeared in 2001 and was an immediate success: straight away, it became one of the “must have” source books on the regiment and on the war. Not surprisingly, it soon sold out. This edition is not merely a reprint, however, for it adds greatly to the sum of our knowledge of the men who fought, bled and died in the 2nd Battalion during the Great War. The battalion’s officers included some of the most memorable regimental characters, like “Buffalo Bill” Stockwell, “Buckshee” Garnett and “The Count” de Miremont; it also included some of the best known literary figures of the war: Robert Graves, Siegfried Sassoon, Frank Richards and James Dunn. But celebrity should not blind us to the thousands of good, steady, brave and dedicated officers and men who served in its ranks and who, as the words of Ecclesiastes remind us, have no memorial. No memorial, perhaps, until now: for this book is their memorial.

The book is dedicated to Professor Richard Holmes, who died earlier this year. Although not a Royal Welch Fusilier, it is absolutely right that he should receive this dedication. As well as his contribution to scholarship, he brought history to life for millions of people, from all walks of life. Just as important, he helped to shape the intellectual development of several generations of senior army officers, including me. I knew him as a close friend and comrade from the age of 16 and his death leaves a gap that it will be impossible to fill.

I write these words on 11th September, the day on which for our generation, the world changed. Barbara Tuchman said that August 4th 1914 was like an iron gate between us and the old world; 11th September 2001 was not that, but it gives us at least some understanding of how old certainties were brutally ended. Since 2001, most of us in uniform have been almost continuously deployed on operations and although the scale of sacrifice in our army has been great, we must thank God that wars like that of 1914 belong to history. But we can perhaps identify more closely now with the men in this book than we could when the first edition came out.

Our thanks and admiration are due to David Langley for this new edition of Duty Done. If it is as successful as the first edition – and I believe it will be – I fully expect to be writing another foreword in the near future.

Jonathon Riley

Lieutenant-General

Director-General & Master of the Armouries

11th September 2011.

[The Scorer]

May I humbly advertise my "Duty Done" here ........ I still have a few copies of the second edition [a big improvement on the first] available for supplicants

It was inspired by Dunn's book [hence the pun] and attempts to decode, elaborate, provide biographies, photos, maps, time-lines .......

.

Can you PM me with some details, please?

I've now bought my own copy of TWTIK, so it will be very helpful - thanks.

[Muerrisch]

Can you PM me with some details, please?

I've now bought my own copy of TWTIK, so it will be very helpful - thanks.

available but will deal with the matter after return from Austria

[The Scorer]

available but will deal with the matter after return from Austria

Thanks - see my reply to your PM.