John Lewis-Stempel: The war behind the wire

[Le_Treport]

Not a review (yet!) but in case anyone is interested, I picked up a copy of this book yesterday at 'The Works' in Portsmouth's Gunwharf Quays for just £4.99. 2014 publication and in hardback too. I enjoyed his 'Six weeks' so look forwad to reading this one.

[clive_hughes]

Likewise got mine last week in Wrexham!

Clive

[seaforths]

I thought it was informative and a good read. I won't say anymore as you've not had chance to read it yourselves yet.

[The Scorer]

I tried to read this a few weeks ago, but had to give it up after a couple of chapters.

There seemed to be so many (too many?) characters involved, which meant that I couldn't get into the subject. It's obviously a well written and researched book, but not for me at that time ..... I might try again later, though.

[seaforths]

I'm a bit confounded as to the last post but I would imagine that an author trying to get a point across on how the prisoners continued their fight in captivity, would use as many examples as possible from different sources.

[EastSurrey]

It's an interesting and angry book, although I preferred Yarnall's 'Barbed Wire Disease', a wider and more dispassionate study of Great War POW's.

Michael

[seaforths]

It's an interesting and angry book, although I preferred Yarnall's 'Barbed Wire Disease', a wider and more dispassionate study of Great War POW's.

Michael

I think that's a pretty succinct and fair assessment and comparison.

[The Scorer]

I'm a bit confounded as to the last post but I would imagine that an author trying to get a point across on how the prisoners continued their fight in captivity, would use as many examples as possible from different sources.

Normally, I would agree with you about this.

However, the way that the book was written offered little bits about the characters without giving any great detail about them. The author was hopping back and fore between characters, and I found it very difficult to get a proper picture of any of them.

As I say, it looks to be well researched, and is obviously a good book, but I couldn't get into it at that time .... maybe it will be different later, I don't know.

[Doug Johnson]

not a book I would recommend. Too many errors; quotes works of fiction as fact; reiterates facts from other writers which are suspect and altogether a very difficult readias it accentuates the negative in a way reminiscent of the wartime propaganda.

Arthur Gibbons book is quoted frequently, although dates and places are accurate the rest is a work of fiction. As a small point, the introduction states that the author will use the prisoners rank at time of capture unless stated otherwise and Arthur Gibbons quoted as a sergeant was in fact a private at time of capture. On page 59, Cpt Allsop was a Lieutenant at time of capture.

page 58 there is a quote supposedly by Cpt I M Henderson. I suspect this is by Dobson, certainly it is not by Henderson who was not even in France in August 1914.

page 87 " ... when imprisoned at Güstrow recorded that:" no, he was at Suderzollhaus, bei Jannbye, Flemsburg when the quoted events occured.

page 98 re inspections ..(the Swiss took over when the US entered the war....) No, it was the Dutch who took over.

[seaforths]

not a book I would recommend. Too many errors; quotes works of fiction as fact; reiterates facts from other writers which are suspect and altogether a very difficult readias it accentuates the negative in a way reminiscent of the wartime propaganda.

Arthur Gibbons book is quoted frequently, although dates and places are accurate the rest is a work of fiction. As a small point, the introduction states that the author will use the prisoners rank at time of capture unless stated otherwise and Arthur Gibbons quoted as a sergeant was in fact a private at time of capture. On page 59, Cpt Allsop was a Lieutenant at time of capture.

page 58 there is a quote supposedly by Cpt I M Henderson. I suspect this is by Dobson, certainly it is not by Henderson who was not even in France in August 1914.

page 87 " ... when imprisoned at Güstrow recorded that:" no, he was at Suderzollhaus, bei Jannbye, Flemsburg when the quoted events occured.

page 98 re inspections ..(the Swiss took over when the US entered the war....) No, it was the Dutch who took over.

I didn't really know any of the prisoners he was referring to and took the book at face value. I'm surprised I didn't pick up on the US/Dutch Legation thing. It passed me by. Although there might have been some confusion as the Swiss did take up the medical inspection side of things in 1917 (if I'm not mistaken), in the camps in Germany.

The thing is, if you spot one anomally, you start actively looking for others and begin reading against the text rather than with it. I have done the same myself on occasions where my knowledge reacts against what is written and like you, I become quite disappointed with the book overall.