Le_Treport Posted 13 May , 2007 Share Posted 13 May , 2007 My nephew has shown an interest in the Great War, and I was wondering what recommendtions anyone has for fostering this interest. He lives a fair way from me, and I tend to visit him rather than the other way round. Otherwise, I would let him browse my 'library'! I don't want to subject anything too 'heavy' but would be pleased if I could encourage his interest without stopping it dead! He's not actually a great reader, which doesn't help perhaps, so I was thinking more along the lines of photo histories. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyhound Posted 13 May , 2007 Share Posted 13 May , 2007 Good idea. I’ve got a book called “The Experience of World War I” by J.M. Winter, which is probably the sort of thing that might suit as a start. Lots of photographs, subtopics in sidebars, and not acres of print to put him off. Don’t know if it’s in print, but you could probably find a used copy if not. It might be worth looking in bargain book shops such as The Works, as they often have this type of photo-dominated non-fiction books. If his interest takes off, he could go on to something like Middlebrook’s “First Day on the Somme”. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 13 May , 2007 Share Posted 13 May , 2007 I first read "Goodbye to All That" by Robert Graves at that sort of age and loved it. It has a large section on his school experiences that are really interesting. Might also lead him onto to "I Claudius". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevem49 Posted 13 May , 2007 Share Posted 13 May , 2007 Started my Granddaughter with Horrible Histories - WW1 - she now reads my books ! stevem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 13 May , 2007 Share Posted 13 May , 2007 I first read "Goodbye to All That" by Robert Graves at that sort of age and loved it. It has a large section on his school experiences that are really interesting. Might also lead him onto to "I Claudius". Ian's suggestion brings to mind Sassoon's autobiography which was published in part as Memoirs of a Foxhunting Man. Lots about his intense interest in riding to hounds and cross country races before he went to war. No pictures but fast paced and about a slightly older teenager. The Osprey books are well illustrated and not too big. Not all suitable for a beginner but a large catalogue should offer something. The Battleground Series are also well illustrated and written with the non expert in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doogal Posted 13 May , 2007 Share Posted 13 May , 2007 Hi, Possibly "With a Machine Gun to Cambrai" by George Coppard. A personal account can't be beaten. Although I didn't read this book until a few weeks ago, I remember borrowing a First World War personal account book from the library when I was about twelve. The contents remained in my mind for years. I just wish the author's name had stayed with me, as I've been trying to find it ever since my renewed interest in the Great War sparked up again a couple of years ago. Anyhow - a personal account has it for me. regards doogal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PMHart Posted 13 May , 2007 Share Posted 13 May , 2007 I think the most exciting personal experience account for a young lad is by Joe Muray Gallipoli as I saw it. I read it when I was about 13 having borrowed it from the local library and it made a real impression triggering a lifelong interest in Gallipoli. It is just so exciting: desperate frontal attacks, underground mining, thirst and dreadful dysentery - what a book! It is now available via the Amazon dealers in a new version as Joeseph Murray Gallipoli 1915 for just £3.50! Many years later I had the thrill of interviewing Joe for the IWM when he was 88 - he recorded some 20 hours of fantastic stuff which is still available from the Sound Archive. He even autographed a cheap 1970s paperback copy of his book for me. His diary is also in the IWM Deprtment of Documents. Joe was well known for his fantastic recall: Lyn Macdonald, Paul Reed, Nigel Steel and Bryn Hammond and many others were in his debt for his fantastic memories. He died in about 1994-1995. A great man. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le_Treport Posted 13 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 13 May , 2007 “The Experience of World War I” by J.M. Winter This sounds the very dab..... I'll look out for it. Thanks for the other ideas too! I also found the personal accounts good at that age, but I'm not sure about them in this instance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loganshort Posted 13 May , 2007 Share Posted 13 May , 2007 Although some WW1 books can be a bit heavy going for a 13 year old with details and sometimes lots of phrases and military terminology which you really need another military dictionary for! Horrible Historys is a good one for starters and also Malcolm Brown "Tommy Goes to War" Easy to read and lots of good pics as well with personal accounts throughout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskoka Posted 13 May , 2007 Share Posted 13 May , 2007 I recently read "Generals Die in Bed: A Story from the Trenches" by Charles Yale Harrison. He was a young American who served with the Canadian army, and who wrote the novel in 1928 based on his experiences. Annick Press presents it as 'Young Adult" novel, probably because it is an easy read and only 175 pages long. Yet it gives a poignant, accurate, and gritty portrayal of life in the trenches. Harrison dedicated the book "To the bewildered youths - British, Austrailian, Canadian, and German - who were killed in that wood a few miles beyond Amiens on Aug. 8, 1918." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 13 May , 2007 Share Posted 13 May , 2007 Don't let the 13 year old near Ben Elton's book "the first casualty", s/he might belive that it contains the truth and have disastrous results Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Moretti Posted 13 May , 2007 Share Posted 13 May , 2007 The Western Front: 1914-1918 by John Terraine. Short, punchy and will inoculate him against most of the myths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyhound Posted 14 May , 2007 Share Posted 14 May , 2007 Re Winter, a buy-it-now copy on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/The-Experience-of-Wo...1QQcmdZViewItem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 14 May , 2007 Share Posted 14 May , 2007 Dare I say Lyn Macdonald. "1914" is as good as anyone to start with, or Middlebrooks "First Day of the Somme". Regards, Jon S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon6640 Posted 14 May , 2007 Share Posted 14 May , 2007 Depending on how much he does/not enjoy books how about the thing that spurred my interest - Charley's War a great graphic story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 14 May , 2007 Share Posted 14 May , 2007 Would it be possible to take him down to his local public library and explore the WW1 shelf together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike10764 Posted 14 May , 2007 Share Posted 14 May , 2007 I'd always recommend Some Desperate Glory by Edwin Campion Vaughan as a good starter book, due to the fact it is a 'first person' that is very readable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Barker Posted 14 May , 2007 Share Posted 14 May , 2007 Agree totally with Charlie's War - Good recommendation. In fiction - Michael Morpurgo's "War Horse". Although a children's book Private Peaceful is trickier. All the best. Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob carman Posted 15 May , 2007 Share Posted 15 May , 2007 Good morning, I recently read Michael Morpurgo's "War Horse" to my 7 and 5 years old boys. I liked it, so did the 7 year old. Not so the 5 year old, it was just a bit too hard for him to follow. I supplemented the reading with some horse and mule stories my Grandad told me about his War. My 12 and 14 year old nephews read it themselves and liked it enough to buy "Private Peaceful" with their own pocket money. I agree with Stephen though, "Private Peaceful" is trickier. Be ready for questions. In fact, I think Morpurgo generally provokes more "good" questions than other childrens' author, more than say Dick King-Smith who is just as good but once his book are closed it's over for my sons. When I was 8 to 10 Biggles was my hero. I have recently read "Biggles of 266 Squadron" to my 7 year old. He liked it, but it was a big dissapointed to me. For some reason doing the voices was harder than I expected, especially as I was trying avoid the Monty Python RAF-stereotypes ("Don't understand your banter, old chap.") Also, the Good Capt. did not "dumb down his choice of vocabulary (worth remembering for a younger reader) while his humour seemed smug to me. Rob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le_Treport Posted 15 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 15 May , 2007 Some good suggestions! Thanks to all. I'd forgotten Private Peaceful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpgdpg Posted 15 May , 2007 Share Posted 15 May , 2007 Tim Carews "The Vanished Army" wouldnt be a bad start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 15 May , 2007 Share Posted 15 May , 2007 I think the most exciting personal experience account for a young lad is by Joe Muray Gallipoli as I saw it. I read it when I was about 13 having borrowed it from the local library and it made a real impression triggering a lifelong interest in Gallipoli. It is just so exciting: desperate frontal attacks, underground mining, thirst and dreadful dysentery - what a book! It is now available via the Amazon dealers in a new version as Joeseph Murray Gallipoli 1915 for just £3.50! Many years later I had the thrill of interviewing Joe for the IWM when he was 88 - he recorded some 20 hours of fantastic stuff which is still available from the Sound Archive. He even autographed a cheap 1970s paperback copy of his book for me. His diary is also in the IWM Deprtment of Documents. Joe was well known for his fantastic recall: Lyn Macdonald, Paul Reed, Nigel Steel and Bryn Hammond and many others were in his debt for his fantastic memories. He died in about 1994-1995. A great man. Pete Hear Hear. Peter is quite right to suggest this - it's a truly engaging first hand account and a good starting point as the gallipoli campaign in not to complex - with a beginning and end over no more than a year and a relatively compact area. Joe has an excellent way of spinning his tale which paints a good picture of a soldiers life. The thing about Joe is that whenever anything of note happened he was there and tells the tale as an eye witness. One of these days we will find out if there is any truth in the tale that Joe was sent to take a message to Rupert Brooke shortly before the landings and killed a big spider under Rupert's "cot" with his boot shortly after it bit the poet. If you also try the Mel Gibson "Gallipoli" video, remember that it is a story and not accurate history. The recent documentary "Gelibolu" by Tolga Ornek can fairly easily be found on DVD at a reasonable price and has some dramatic footage - not least the short appearances by Peter Hart....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBettsMCDCM Posted 16 May , 2007 Share Posted 16 May , 2007 If you can find them a set of War Illustrated,or Hammerton's The Great War,certainly stimulated my interest @ the age of 11 or so mind you that was some 44 Years ago!!,Also the BBC TV series The Great War,I found fascinating @ that age{when it originally appeared on TV in the 1960s....Oh God I am Old!!!}The Great war in Pictures {either the Old Daily Express book of the 1930s or one of the many modern editions of similar ilk would I suggest be equally appetising to the querilous mind of a Teenager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillgorilla Posted 16 May , 2007 Share Posted 16 May , 2007 Hi, How about the Charlie's War series from the Battle comic, they have now been republished in two volumes and cover the Somme and Verdun. A good read, and not too school orientated. You could get it from your local library. How about Somme by Lyn MacDonald. The Great War I was There series may be of some interest. Hillgorilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paullaw1155 Posted 17 May , 2007 Share Posted 17 May , 2007 A book that I can highly recommend is titled Remembrance by Theresa Breslin. A book of fiction but a first class read, well researched. I think the author was/is a school teacher and she wrote the book after visiting the battlefields with groups of school children. A easy to read book with a wide scope of interest from nurses at home to the horror of trench war. I read it over two nights. Friends of mine have borrowed it and had the same thoughts as myself. Check the reviews on Amazon Hope this helps Cheers Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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