Faces of World War I: Tragedy of the Great War in Words & Pictures

[AlanCurragh]

Just found out about this new book - published on the 11th October - I always enjoy photographic collections from the Great War so will be looking out for it...

In "the Faces of World War I" Max Arthur has delved into the superb photographic archives of the Imperial War Museum and other important collections to unearth remarkable, never before seen images that, when married with his contemporary eye-witness accounts, truly bring a unique perspective to the First World War. "The Faces of World War I" charts the changes that took place in Edwardian Britain and continental Europe following the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 that led to the outbreak of war. It paints a startling portrait of the recruitment and militarization of an entire generation of young men, beginning with the British Expeditionary Forces entry into warfare in 1914. Max Arthur tells the story in words and pictures of this newly conscripted army through their five years of slaughter and suffering. As well as the British troops and civilians, we also see pictures of German troops and their own suffering, in a journey that follows the armies right through to their return home or, in some cases, their tragic end on the battlefield. This photographic milestone brilliantly conveys not only the heroism, but also the universal horror, futility, humour and boredom of warfare. From the front-line troops and their daily dice with death, to the support lines, communications, enlistment, training and propaganda. Every aspect of the soldiers life is covered here, in this brilliant collection of images that brings the Great War to life in a way never done before.

[PoW1988]

Ahhh the ever controversial Max Arthur is back again! I will too look out for this book, perhaps in the library rather than the shops. He has been dismissed by popular historians as a "skilled collaborator and nothing more". While I partially agree with this statement, I praise him for making the Great War more appealing to a wider market by simply telling the story as it stands. It makes a nice change from reading hard hitting fact and new research all the time.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, I will certainly look out for it!

Lynz

[Steven Broomfield]

Like Lynz, I'll look for it, but may well not buy it. I found "Forgotten Voices of the Great War" a huge disappointment (and I was given it - I didn't spen my own money) as - really - a cut and paste job, with little or no context for the quotes, and some rather avoidable inaccuracies.

Good luck and thanks, though, to Mr Arthur for -as Lynz says - making the Great War more appealing to a mass audience.