The better modern Great War Novel?

[Martin Bennitt]

I read and enjoyed both of these, or rather all four, while suspending my disbelief to some extent, but there are better modern Great War novels in my opinion. A glance at the Booker Prize archives for example shows that 'The Ghost Road' won in 1995, but two that made the shortlist in 1982 and 2010 deserve praise, not least because they got away from the trenches They are respectively William Boyd's 'The Ice Cream War', about the campaign in east Africa, and Tom McCarthy's 'C', a central part of which is the experiences of the hero as an observer in an RE8 and then in a German POW camp. Read 'em if you haven't done so.

cheers Martin B

[yperman]

I agree authors have a duty to get their background facts right..

But I think books like these should be discussed in this forum because they do ask questions which are - to put it mildly - sidelined, and which are legitimate areas for study by better military historians than me. For example in 'Birdsong' the nature and long term effects of wounds inflicted by Great War weapons is described in horrific detail. Yet there is (correct me if I am wrong) relatively little (when compared with eg: the Somme battle) published on the vast "industry" treating wounded soldiers which involved literally millions of women.

Perhaps serious - but "uncomfortable" questions about such issues as how far organised prostitution and sexually transmitted diseases affected military efficiency and the suffering of the Belgian and French civilians can only be opened up by fiction.

Yperman

[Cockney]

QUOTE (Paul Reed @ Wed, 7 Jan 2004 20:54:08 +0000)

Neither, in my opinion.

Couldn't agree more!

Agreed 100%. Although Birdsong has the potential to be a real winner at the "Bad Sex Awards"! Was it ever nominated?

[neutrino]

Having just stumbled onto this thread and noted that the greatest number of voters did not like either of the books put forward mayI mention a favourite of mine which is John Masters' trilogy, I think I have noticed some criticism of these three when wandering into this cultural field and wonder if it is still read.

Old Tom

I've read them.

Three years ago now though.

Masters is a marvellous novelist I believe, well under rated.

I've read 18 of his 25? books now and have Fandango Rock ready to start after I finish The Horizon by Douglas Reeman.

I reckon Masters must have been some guy from reading his autobiographies.

Just to keep on topic I didn't like Birdsong or Regeneration.