Reddit reviews Forgotten Voices Of The Great War
We found 5 Reddit comments about Forgotten Voices Of The Great War. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
NewMint ConditionDispatch same day for order received before 12 noonGuaranteed packagingNo quibbles returns
I've had to remove some links from the main post. Added here:
General works - more advanced material
You should read at least one book from the preceding section before looking at books here. They are a more advanced treatment on the topic that may include viewpoints that are not commonly held.
This book discusses the war in general through transcripts of live discussions between leading historians. An unconventional look at the war which ranges widely while avoiding the academic tone of most books - highly recommended.
Sheffield reinterprets the war, debunking the myths of 'lions led by donkeys' and futility which arose from popular culture and powerfully arguing that the war had to be fought, and was won by a British Army which by 1918 was the most effective fighting force in the world.
This book is a narrative of the war that takes a detailed look at the conscientious objectors and the rise of the socialist movement in the context of the greater war. It is highly focused on British people and events.
An in depth look at the origins of World War I with particular focus on Balkans politics and events such as the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand.
Seems to be the only recent English language work on the Italian front that I and it brings to light a long forgotten front that had some of the most extreme fighting in the war.
General works - personal accounts
Online resources
This is also a description of how German stormtroop tactics evolved, but much shorter. It is worth to mention because it is available as a free PDF, and good enough that you will find it quoted in books now and then. Gudmundsson's book is a more comprehensive resource but this one has the benefit of being online and free.
Fiction
The classic novel of WWI experiences
Loosely based on his own experiences, this novel helps bring the war "up close & personal".
Graves gives a good account of a personal experience of the the war from a British subaltern's point of view. Others giving the bottom up look are from the French soldier's perspective in the trenches 1915-1916 Under Fire: The Story of a Squad by Henri Barbusse free here, another from a German perspective Storm of Steel by Ernst Jünger. More graphically violent than All Quiet, but more a memoir than a novel. And unlike Remarque, Jünger was a combat soldier wounded 14 times, Iron Cross 1st Class, youngest recipient of Pour le Mérite (The Blue Max) and when he died in 1998, he was last living Blue Max recipient. From the American Doughboy's perspective, there's Toward the Flame a memoir by Hervey Allen who served in the "bucket of blood" the 28th Keystone Div in the Aisne - Marne offensive and leaves you contemplating being on the receiving end of a flamethrower attack. A harrowing compilation of vignettes running chronologically through each month of the war on the Western Front is The Hazy Red Hell Tom Donovan ed. It has been described as terrifying. I'll not dispute that. A more balanced view of the experiences of the fighting men is Forgotten Voices of the Great War: A New History of WWI in the Words of the Men and Women Who Were There I'm reading that right now.
Voices of the Great War. I think that would fit your needs quite well! For younger readers it provides first hand accounts woven into a loose chronological order/ topical order that are completely accessible.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forgotten-Voices-Great-War-History/dp/0091888875
In general the Voices books are pretty decent.
Really recommending the Forgotten Voices of the Somme for a British perspective on the whole battle, including the first day. I think it's best to learn about the Somme from a soldiers' perspective and this book is a great starting point. There is a similar book called Forgotten Voices of the Great War which is a book of British solders' stories and extracts from letters regarding the whole of the war.
Also, contrary to popular belief, I really like the Pen and Sword Military books on snipers, artillery and horses as they are not as detailed as some of the books I've read but a nice bit of easy reading if you're feeling a bit overwhelmed by some of the more advanced suggestions above.
Forgotten Voices of The Great War and Forgotten Voices of World War 2 by Max Hastings are exactly what you are looking for.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forgotten-Voices-Great-War-History/dp/0091888875
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forgotten-Voices-Second-World-War/dp/0091897351