Radio23 Posted 28 September , 2003 Share Posted 28 September , 2003 I have ordered a number of WW1 books online and would be keen to find out what is regarded as the best/most popular 1st person account of WW1. I am not so interested in the higher eschalon accounts, more so books written by the men in the front line. Thank you so much, Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Bluestein Posted 28 September , 2003 Share Posted 28 September , 2003 My favorite first hand account of WW1 is the book called: 'Saying Good By To All That', by Robert Graves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annette Burgoyne Posted 28 September , 2003 Share Posted 28 September , 2003 Hi Radio23 "Langemarck" and "Cambrai" by Captain Geoffrey, Dugdale, M.C. This is a very good read, and I do not say that because he was a officer in the 6th K.S.L.I. (for anyone who does not know, this is the Battalion that I am most interested in). He records in his preface "It is not intended to be a story but a plain statement of facts which actually occurred". He does not go into the gruesome and disgusting side of the war he records "these episodes are dim in my memory and thankfully forgotten". Annette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 28 September , 2003 Share Posted 28 September , 2003 I found this a really difficult question to answer as there are many really good ones. But in the end I think I would have to go for this one. The words are cut and pasted from my own review on "The Long, Long Trail". Occasional gunfire A. W. Paton MM pub. Bishop-Laggett Publishing 1998. ISBN 0 946273 17 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you only ever read one memoir of the Great War, read this one. Subtitled "Private War Diary of a Siege Gunner", it is beautifully produced in soft back form, including many excellent watercolour sketches and maps produced by the author. There is also a number of good photographs, a roll of honour and a good index among the 216 pages. Alec Paton was for much of the war the Battery Commander's Assistant in 118 Siege Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery. The Battery saw a great deal of service once it moved from Edinburgh to France. He tells the story not only of the times in action, but of the many incidents and characters that are so easily lost to history. A wonderful read that deserves wider coverage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 28 September , 2003 Share Posted 28 September , 2003 OLD SOLDIERS NEVER DIE by Frank Richards - reprinted by Naval & Military Press. It covers the first days of August 1914 when Frank was called back to the Colours as a Reservist and was amongst the first of the BEF to cross to France with 2/RWF. He was then involved in nearly every major battle that took place on the Western Front, winning a DCM and MM in the processs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 28 September , 2003 Share Posted 28 September , 2003 Hello, The books by Ernst Jünger are very good, but I liked "Schwere Artilleristen" by Max Eberwien also very much because of the honesty in it (one of the few books I read in which the author admits to have had quite a few love adventures with f.i. Roumenian women and German women whose husband was for some reason not present because of the war, the author also tells about his problems with officers etc.). Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 28 September , 2003 Share Posted 28 September , 2003 A Passionate Prodigality by Guy Chapman. Beautifully written, describing his time with the Royal Fusiliers from 1915 to the end of the war. first published in 1933 and still in print. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 28 September , 2003 Share Posted 28 September , 2003 To gain an impression of the experience of the Western Front, not just combat, I would suggest: 'The Middle Parts of Fortune (Her Privates We)' By Frederic Manning- not strictly a first person account, written in'Novel' form, this book relates the experience of a group of soldiers in 1916, two attacks are mentioned but the majority of the book is about their experiences behind the lines: a tour of duty if you like. The second book is concerned with the experiences of 'being in the line' called 'Twelve Days: The Somme November 1916' by Sidney Rogerson If you read both books I think you will gain, perhaps an impression of what it was like to serve on the Western Front for an extened period of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 28 September , 2003 Share Posted 28 September , 2003 Well, I simply have to say "With a Machine Gun to Cambrai" by George Coppard - never out of print in over 30 years. Vivid, self-effacing and one of the few on the MGC and "Some Desperate Glory" , the diary of Lt Edmund Campion-Vaughan of the 8th Royal Warwicks. Quite harrowing in places, and the editors didn't go out of their way to make him "sympathetic" - quite the opposite at first . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 28 September , 2003 Share Posted 28 September , 2003 WO161 contains some contemporary accounts of POW's recollections of their capture and subsequent treatment at POW camps, hospitals, transport, etc. Absolutely fascinating reading - if only it were published ! Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gem22 Posted 28 September , 2003 Share Posted 28 September , 2003 I would have to go for Edmund Blunden's "Undertones of War" as far as the infantry are concerned. However I know that their are hundreds of accounts I haven't yet read and I may change my mind. I was very impressed with Will Bird's "Ghosts have warm hands". Nor would it be fair to leave out other branches of the army and Neil Fraser-Tytler's "Field guns in France" is quite brilliant; and closely followed by Kingham's "London Gunners". Garth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hussar Posted 28 September , 2003 Share Posted 28 September , 2003 I really liked 'The First Seven Divisions' by Lord Ernest Hamilton who was a Captain in the 11th Hussars. It is a detailed account of the B.E.F from Mons to Ypres. It contains a wealth of minutaie of day to day stuff including first or second hand accounts about a lot of the casualties, although the vast majority of those named are Officers rather than OR's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 28 September , 2003 Share Posted 28 September , 2003 I would also like to commend "Some Desperate Glory". Its climax at 3rd Ypres is incredible. The Blunden and the Manning also take some beating - but I think the thing with all first hand accounts is that one incident or telling detail can suddenly and unexpectedly illuminate the whole canvas of the Great War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 28 September , 2003 Share Posted 28 September , 2003 Published - 'With a Machine Gun to Cambrai' by George Coppard MM. (Cpl 37 MG Coy), which I had the privelidge of reviewing for the Forum. Unpublished - The war diaries of my two great-uncles and a Pte in the Essex Regt who served at Gallipoli - there is an interesting entry about the Sandringham Company. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 28 September , 2003 Share Posted 28 September , 2003 I really liked 'The First Seven Divisions' by Lord Ernest Hamilton who was a Captain in the 11th Hussars. I'm also a fan of this book, no least as it was first published in February 1916 and the style of writing is so "of the time", although I wouldnt really call it a first hand account Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 29 September , 2003 Share Posted 29 September , 2003 'To the Last Ridge' by Will Downing. A poignant story of Downing's war from Fromelles to the last months of the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Parker Posted 29 September , 2003 Share Posted 29 September , 2003 First Party accounts have got to be; "Old Soldiers Never Die" by Fank Richards (just received his book Old Soldier Sahib today) "Somme Harvest" by Giles EM Eyre "There's a Devil in the Drum" by John F Lucy I've re-read this books several times. Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleur Posted 29 September , 2003 Share Posted 29 September , 2003 my fave has to be 'Deaths Men' by Dennis Winter. Mainly because it was the first, first person account I read about WW1 and also because it open my eyes to what it was really like - not a romantic book in any way shape or form. Made me cry. Fleur Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Phillips Posted 29 September , 2003 Share Posted 29 September , 2003 'The war the infantry knew 1914-1919' Captain J C Dunn. The first first person account I read and still one of my favourites. Although 'Old soldiers ....' and 'There's a devil ....' also take some beating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 29 September , 2003 Share Posted 29 September , 2003 My Bit George Ashurst; Ghosts have Warm Hands Will R Bird; Best O' Luck Alexander McClintock. Westlake has last 2 in paperback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawson Posted 29 September , 2003 Share Posted 29 September , 2003 Hi, 'My Bit 'by George Ashurst does it for me. But i'll also go along with the others, and recommend' Some Desperate Glory.' One of my favourite books of all time. Happy reading Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 29 September , 2003 Share Posted 29 September , 2003 George Ashurst lived a long time. Paul Reed knew him. His book was published late in life. You know you are not in for the usual read when they head to France in 14. He tells about a man who slits his throat on deck and says something like, " Some wag put it out he'd been to France before." I have read this one at least four times. This man was a true working class man whose family lived all over Lancashire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 25 February , 2005 Share Posted 25 February , 2005 I am not sure I have a favorite, though I have enjoyed all the classics... Graves, Junger. I think even the first hand accounts included by authors like MacDonald shed a little first hand insight for those of us who have a keen interest in the time period. I have just started "With a Machine Gun.." and I don't think my high expectations will be disappointed. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMG65 Posted 27 February , 2005 Share Posted 27 February , 2005 'There's A Devil In The Drum' by John Lucy is my favourite closely followed by 'The Advance From Mons 1914' by Walter Bloem. I can also recommend 'The Master of Belhaven'. For anyone with an intrest in artillery, this is a must. SEAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Kortooms Posted 27 February , 2005 Share Posted 27 February , 2005 "Some desperate glory" is also my favourite, but I would also like to recommend the following books: - "A Subaltern's War" by Charles Edmonds (Charles Carrington) - "The Weary Road" by Charles Douie - "A Sergeant-Major's War - From Hill 60 to the Somme" by Ernest Sheppard Walter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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