trajan Posted 26 January , 2016 Share Posted 26 January , 2016 Am I - or are GWF members - missing something? I tried "Search" and this one does not seem to feature in this exalted realm... If it has, please re-direct me to a relevant thread, or - having just finished it - I'll write more anon! Briefly speaking, though, some books of this kind inform and entertain, but this one is more of the former with a tad of the latter... Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joerookery Posted 27 January , 2016 Share Posted 27 January , 2016 I saw it advertised on Amazon but it never seen it mentioned here. Love to know what to think of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 29 January , 2016 Author Share Posted 29 January , 2016 Well, the Preface states that "The Kaiser's Army 1914-1918 seeks to provide and authoritative and comprehensive guide to virtually every aspect of the German imperial army that fought in World War 1". I enjoyed reading the author's summary of events 1871-1918 in his Parts I-II - I know very little about the overall background to and the progress of the GW, except in the broadest of details. But Parts III-VIII are essentially an encyclopaedia in a narrative format, before a rather summary concluding Part IX, on the 'End of the Kaiser's Army'. So, for example, taking one part at random, in Part VI, pp. 241-245, 'The Infantry Regiment'. It breaks down the various component parts of such a unit beginning with the statement "An infantry regiment would normally be commanded by a colonel (Oberst) with a lieutenant-colonel (Oberstleutnant) as his second-in-command". It continues in like form through the battalions to companies ("numbered 1 to 12 within the regiment"), down to the "squads (Gruppen) of eight infantrymen commanded by a lance-corporal (Gefreiter)", finishing with the medical support allocated to each company. Then comes an analysis of notional strength, equipment (machine guns and the like), communications systems, and the transport required to make certain the regiment got to the front with everything it needed ("Gefechtsbaggage" and "Gross Baggage"). It clearly relies extensively on the British Handbook of the German Army in War, April 1918 for these details. I cannot comment on the accuracy of the work except to note that in the author's discussion of "Weapons and Equipment", he states: "Bayonet (standard 1917 pattern)" - that caused a swoon here! But that is just because I do know something about bayonets (he is actually talking about the S.98/05)... There again, the author does give a nice and useful glossary at the back! All in all? Well, it certainly has a lot of what seems to be useful stuff on the organisation clothing, training, etc., of the Imperial Army. But it is more of a book cum encylcopaedia to keep around to inform than take to bed (or in the bath, or on the beach!) to entertain... Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joerookery Posted 29 January , 2016 Share Posted 29 January , 2016 It clearly relies extensively on the British Handbook of the German Army in War, April 1918 for these details. Thank you for that. I didn't think that is the most reliable source.hmmmmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 29 January , 2016 Author Share Posted 29 January , 2016 I was surprised, I admit, that the 1914 Freidag's Fuehrer durch Heer und Flotte does not feature anywhere, but to be fair, he does reference Cron, and so he may not have relied as extensively as I implied on the Handbook... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joerookery Posted 29 January , 2016 Share Posted 29 January , 2016 I was surprised, I admit, that the 1914 Freidag's Fuehrer durch Heer und Flotte does not feature anywhere, but to be fair, he does reference Cron, Well that will not do. I do not know how you have any encyclopedia without that. Cron Is useful however limited. This really smacks of using English language sources and translations exclusively. Interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 29 January , 2016 Author Share Posted 29 January , 2016 There are five or so pages of Bibliography, and yes, mainly English or translations thereof of German works. But it does includes some surprises: e.g., Dienstunterricht des Koeniglich Saechsischen Infanteristen (1915). Robinson, et al., is not included - but the preface makes it clear that the book was finished in time for publication in July 1914 (!) 2014 (and so submitted, I assume, 2013), only to be delayed by a change of ownership of the commissioning company... Having suffered a similar fate myself (a book I finished in 1994 was not published until 1997 for like reasons) I can sympathise. Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joerookery Posted 30 January , 2016 Share Posted 30 January , 2016 Having suffered a similar fate myself (a book I finished in 1994 was not published until 1997 for like reasons) I can sympathise. I seem to operate under a cloud when it comes to publishers. As my interest is in 1914, I will probably give this one a pass. Thanks for reviewing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 31 January , 2016 Author Share Posted 31 January , 2016 Fair enough Joe, but I will say that for somebody like me, who had no or very limited knowledge about the organisation of the German army, I found this one, used together with Robinson et al, a very useful guide to what is what. Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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