Seeking Recommendations - 1st Person German Accounts

[David Filsell]

John B

Many thanks for your contribution, greatly appreciated. I have all of these with the exception of The Fiery Way although I do have a copy of the author's other book 'The Furnace'. Copies of The Fiery Way are v. rare. It never never comes up on abebooks, or via any of the specialist dealers (who have been pretty helpful). So if any can guide me to a copy, or wishes to sell one (or offer a cheque backed loan) I would be ever so slightly be totally delighted . Thanks again, any other contributions greatly appreciated.

Gentlemen:

A few more titles.

Schlump, which is anonymously wrtitten

Zero Hour, by Georg Grabenhorst

The Fiery Way, by Franz Schauwecker

Private Suhren, by Georg von der Vring

Pillbox 17: The Story of Comradeship in Arms, by Karl Broger

Higher Command, by Edlef Koppen

In the Line 1914-1918, by Georg Bucher

Loretto, by Max Heinz

And Don't forget Education Before Verdun, by Arnold Zweig (maybe a novel)

Also, The Diary of a German Soldier, by Feldwebel C.

Lastly, The passage: A Tragedy of the First World War By Gustav Ebelschauser (ed. Richard Baumgartner)

I haven't read them all but I did find In the Line 1914-1918 particularly good. I have heard good things also about Grabenhorst and Heinz.

Thank you,

John

[JohnBurnett]

David,

Thanks for your comments.

WWI memoirs have been a passion of mine for a long time. Back in the 1980s and 1990s just finding a copy of a memoir was a challenge, and I finally learned that I could request a library copy of a memoir though inter-library loan, and then photocopy it. This worked well when I was a university student. Many of my first copies of WWI books were photocopies: Giles Eyre, John Lucy and even the original John Giles books -- all photocopies. The same with The Challenge of the Dead, by Graham. This is still the case with many of my books.

Luckily, interest in the Great War is very high with the 100 year anniversary so close and publishers in the UK and elsewhere are willing to republish memoirs. ( I have reprints of Nothing of Importance, 12 Days, There's a Devil in the Drum, Somme Harvest, Up to Mametz, etc).

If I locate a copy of The Fiery Way I will inform you or purchase it for you. But it is something that should be reprinted as interest is sure to remain high in the coming years.

But this forum could be instrumental in getting more memoirs reprinted as the anniversary approaches, because there are some very informed and influential people on this forum.

For example very few copies of Diary of a German Soldier exist (by Feldwebel C). Is it worth reprinting? I enjoyed Hells Bells and Mademoiselles by Maxwell Taylor. Is it available in reprint in Australia?

Anyway, just a thought.

John

[connaughtranger]

Hi

One more: Fritz by Fritz Nagel published by Der Angriff Publications, Huntingdon, W Virginia.

"The Passage" has already been mentioned but is worth the money for 2 photos alone. Most of the horror of war is portrayed with photos of the dead. "The Passage" contains 2 living photos, side by side, of Gustav Ebelshauser. The first is of a fresh-faced youth of 17 taken in 1915; the second is surely of an old man of 50. It is Gustav Ebelshauser at 21. Stark reminders of what the living suffered!

[Robert Dunlop]

Also:

Surgeon with the Kaiser's Army by Stephen Westman

The Holocaust by Hermanns

Infantry Attacks by Rommel

I was a German by Ernst Toller

Robert

[David Filsell]

Thanks for additions team. Sady all have been found and are listed/written up. The offer to seek a copy of The Fiery Way is most welcome. Please keep 'em coming. O am currently working on Soldier's Women - quite a strange novel/personal account on the Esatern Front. Not yet sure if it's one I would recommend. Thanks again all.

Best regards

David

[JohnBurnett]

David and all,

Has anyone mentioned "Class 1902" by Ernst Glaeser? Has anyone read it and would recommend it?

Have you tried getting a photocopy of "The Fiery Way" from a library in the UK or elsewhere?

Regards,

John

[JohnBurnett]

David and all,

One other point worth mentioning. You are no doubt aware of Cyril Falls' book "War Books: An annotated Bibliography of Books about the Great War." It was reprinted in 1989 by Greenhill books. I'm sure copies of it are available in the UK.

But in about 1995 The William Reese Company of New Haven, Connecticut published a catalog called "Literature of the Great War: The Barry D. Maurer Collection." Maurer died sometime earlier but had spent a lifetime acquiring memoirs from the Great War. I have seen this catalog and it is an exhaustive description of WWI memoirs. Maurer's collection is long sold but I wonder if there is a chance someone might have a copy of that catalog? It is numbered Catalog 150. I wonder if the William Reese Company would have one?

Best wishes all,

John

[David Filsell]

JohnB

Many thanks - sorry to appear a smart a*rse - but I have both of those. The Maurer is interesting, quite a collection ; a collection of 965 volumes. I con doo look-ups if anyone is interested - but am away from lap top for a week. Many thanks for your contribution.

Best regards

david

[kaiserknight]

Hi David,

Not sure if you have updated this since 2008!!! But how goes the collection?

Thanks.

Here's the future.

About 18 months more research and writing (I once wrote for a living and swore I would never write to another's deadline ever, ever, again again. This project is above all selfish and great fun. It will get finished, unless I am sniped. It may get published/it may not, I will loose no sleep either way because I am not doing it for money. I could - perhaps self publish, but not at any further cost to me. Selfish, perhaps but I have splent a bl**dy fortune already on just aquiring the books.

I remain more than happy to answer individual questions, but not provide book lists or bibliogocal questions in more than outline. I welcome suggestions and I very badly need copies of Bibi Mkuba, MGK and Through a Lens(e) Darkly.

best regards

David

[David Filsell]

2008!. Don't time fly when you are haveing fun. A blast from the past almost since "the German book project" proceeds very slowly. Most of you wioll know the problem - a living to earn, book reviews for Stand To!, and reworking the forst chapters of the uncompleted book about the 7th Infantry Division at Ypres in 1914. Excuses excuses.

In short it continues. I have identified some 13o or so personal accounts, novels and reflections - all three forces and a couple of civilian - translated into English. All have been covered, suggested above. I have even found a rare copy off the The Fiery Way, an apparently unread university library copy. Don't as the cost - I had to smuggle it in to the huose in a brown opaper bag. It remains ongoing in a sadly desultary way. And I am more than happy to respond to requsets for information on individual books. I think the bibliography is as complete as I can make it and about 100 entries - publishing details (German and British), theme information on authors - where available, translators and a long section about the the authors forced to flee Germany after 1931 - the Jews, the comuunists and the dissenters.

So things continue slowly to track down the missing (a

[kaiserknight]

Good to hear that you still have the project running, albeit slowly! Maybe before 2014?

Perhaps a list of other 1st person titles by A-H, Turkish & Bulgarians could be attempted, though there would be very few written from T & B troops I would think.

Cheers!

[Ken S.]

What about:

Mother country, Fatherland: The story of a British-born German Soldier.

by Alexander Gustav Martin

[David Filsell]

Ken,

Knew to me. Is it a translation? And can you let me have publishing details please?

best regards

David

[kaiserknight]

http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl&st=sl&qi=hMqod02Lq0XZs3yP,8Q8iICUmWk_7412288505_1:27:343&bq=author%3Da%2E%2520g%2520martin%26title%3Dmother%2520country%252C%2520fatherland

try this link.

[David Filsell]

I looked it up - wow 994 Australian dollars that seems an absolute fortune!

best regards

david

[joerookery]

I have a copy maybe I should insure it! It is really pretty interesting book. Not very well put together but the individual is very interesting and was doubtless extremely well-connected. His performance as an officer once things got tough was not a thing of legends. There is a relatively interesting section on his captivity in Russia where he brought his own batman! Not a very impressive service performance but he is a native English speaker. Martin must have been quite rich.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

2008!. Don't time fly when you are haveing fun. A blast from the past almost since "the German book project" proceeds very slowly. (a

I was looking for references to Karl Broger's 'Pillbox 17', having finally found a jacketed 1st after many years, when I stumbled on this thread which began long before I joined the Forum. So the obvious question is 'How's it coming along, David?'. There's nothing more valuable to us collectors than a good bibliography.

[EastSurrey]

'Fighting the Kaiser's War' by Andrew Lucas & Jurgen Schmieschek, recently published by Pen & Sword, has some extensive accounts by Saxon soldiers regarding their service in Flanders.

Michael

[David Filsell]

Going badly - still unfinished. Unable to locate any of the still missing books. Life, work and everything keep getting the way. Other writing, reviews, the business of earning a living and lack, not surprising, of publishers' interest have meant l keep working on the manuscript without making any real progress. It's not unlike the personal account based story of 7th infantry Div. at Ypres I began some years ago - after October 3Oth personal accounts just seem to run out. Neither projects are truly dead, but are effectively personal reference. That said always happy to respond to queries.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Going badly - still unfinished. Unable to locate any of the still missing books. Life, work and everything keep getting the way. Other writing, reviews, the business of earning a living and lack, not surprising, of publishers' interest have meant l keep working on the manuscript without making any real progress. It's not unlike the personal account based story of 7th infantry Div. at Ypres I began some years ago - after October 3Oth personal accounts just seem to run out. Neither projects are truly dead, but are effectively personal reference. That said always happy to respond to queries.

Let me know which books you're still looking for & I'll keep an eye out for them. Your book might well fit into Tom Donovan's proposed series of bibliographies. Worth inquiring if you ever get to that stage.