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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Recomended reading on the subject of the Great War 1914-1918
At discounted prices.
Jack Beatty
In The Lost History of 1914, Jack Beatty offers a highly original view of World War I, testing against fresh evidence the long-dominant assumption that it was inevitable. "Most books set in 1914 map the path leading to war," Beatty writes. "This one maps the multiple paths that led away from it." Chronicling largely forgotten events faced by each of the belligerent countries in the months before the war started in August, Beatty shows how any one of them-a possible military coup in Germany; an imminent civil war in Britain; the murder trial of the wife of the likely next premier of France, who sought détente with Germany-might have derailed the war or brought it to a different end. In Beatty's hands, these stories open into epiphanies of national character, and offer dramatic portraits of the year's major actors-Kaiser Wilhelm, Tsar Nicholas II , Woodrow Wilson, along with forgotten or overlooked characters such as Pancho Villa, Rasputin, and Herbert Hoover. Europe's ruling classeMore information on:
The Lost History of 1914: Reconsidering the Year the Great War Began
Martin Gilbert
"Gilbert has unearthed fascinating details of the campaign . . . An unforgettable read."--The Philadelphia Inquirer At 7:30 a.m. on July 1, 1916, the first Allied soldiers climbed out of their trenches along the Somme River in France and charged into no-man's-land, toward the barbed wire and machine guns at the German front lines. In the months that followed, the fifteen-mile-long territory erupted into the epicenter of the Great War, marking a pivotal moment in both the war and military history as tanks first appeared on the battlefield and air war emerged as a devastating and decisive factor in battle. All told, there were more than one million casualties, with 310,000 men dead in just 138 days. In this vivid account of one of history's most destructive battles, distinguished historian Martin Gilbert tracks the experiences of foot soldiers, generals, and everyone in between. With new photographs, journal entries, original maps, and military planning documents, The Somme is theMore information on:
The Somme: Heroism and Horror in the First World War
Jessica Meyer (Editor)
Much of the scholarship examining British culture of the First World War focusses on the 'high' culture of a limited number of novels, memoirs, plays and works of art, and the cultural reaction to them. This collection, by focussing on the cultural forms produced by and for a much wider range of social groups, including veterans, women, museum visitors and film goers, greatly expands the debate over how the war was represented by participants and the meanings ascribed to it in cultural production. Showcasing the work of both established academics and emerging scholars of the field, this book covers aspects of British popular culture from the material cultures of food and clothing to the representational cultures of literature and film. The result is an engaging and invigorating re-examination of the First World War and its place in British culture. The contributors to this book are: Keith Grieves; Rachel Duffett; Jane Tynan; Krisztina Robert; Lucy Noakes; Stella Moss; Carol Acton; DougMore information on:
British Popular Culture and the First World War (History of Warfare)
Peter S. Kindsvatter
Some warriors are drawn to the thrill of combat and find it the defining moment of their lives. Others fall victim to fear, exhaustion, impaired reasoning, and despair. This was certainly true for twentieth-century American ground troops. Whether embracing or being demoralized by war, these men risked their lives for causes larger than themselves with no promise of safe return. This book is the first to synthesize the wartime experiences of American combat soldiers, from the doughboys of World War I to the grunts of Vietnam. Focusing on both soldiers and marines, it draws on histories and memoirs, oral histories, psychological and sociological studies, and even fiction to show that their experiences remain fundamentally the same regardless of the enemy, terrain, training, or weaponry. Peter Kindsvatter gets inside the minds of American soldiers to reveal what motivated them to serve and how they were turned into soldiers. He recreates the physical and emotional aspects of war to teMore information on:
American Soldiers: Ground Combat in the World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam (Modern War Studies)
Jennifer D. Keene
World War I explores the daily lives of the men and women who served the United States in the Great War. Relying extensively on letters, diaries, and reminiscences of those Americans who fought or served in World War I, Jennifer D. Keene reports on the training camp experience at home; the journey overseas; and the unique difficulties African Americans, Native Americans, women, and immigrants encountered in the predominately white and native-born army. She also describes in vivid detail the perspective of naval and air service personnel and, for those on the ground in France, the horrors of static trench warfare and active engagement in combat. Chapters describe coping with and treating disease and wounds; the devastating frequency of death; and for those who came home, the difficult reentry into civilian life, as well as the causes, strategic decisions, and political outcome of the war. This volume includes a timeline, illustrations, and an extensive bibliography of recommended sourceMore information on:
World War I: The American Soldier Experience
William Keller
Beginning in the Civil War, the U.S. Army sought to find an effective system to distinguish troops from different units. In the closing days of World War I, it finally arrived at a practical and desirable solution with the adoption of the shoulder patch or shoulder sleeve insignia. For more than eighty years, this often simple device, has been the source of pride and inspiration for servicemen everywhere. This new book (the first of a multi-volume set), with a gallery of more than 800 color and sepia toned illustrations of original insignia and period photographs, documents the evolution of these special insignia. From the period beginning with World War I to the Korean War era, you won't find a more indispensable guide for the study and collection of U.S. Army shoulder patches. Collectors will especially enjoy the handy reference section for determining whether a patch was made by an ally or a former foe. With special emphasis on theater made patches, this volume and the ones that wilMore information on:
United States Army Shoulder Patches and Related Insignia: From World War I to Korea 1st Division to 40th Division)
Ian J. Cawood & David McKinnon-Bell
The First World War examines the outbreak, events themselves and aftermath of the Great War, and the political, social and economic effects on the European countries involved. Important themes explored include : * recruitment and propaganda * women's involvement in the war * protest and pacifism * the links between the war and the revolutions in Russia and Germany.More information on:
The First World War (Questions and Analysis in History)
Edward J. Erickson
The first general history in English of the Ottoman Army in the First World War, Ordered to Die is based on newly available Turkish archival and official sources. Outnumbered and outgunned, the Ottoman Army performed astonishingly well in the field and managed to keep fighting until the end of the war, long after many other armies had quit the field. It fought a multi-front war against sophisticated and capable enemies, including Great Britain, France, and Russia. Erickson challenges conventional thinking about Ottoman war aims, Ottoman military effectiveness, and the influence of German assistance. Written at the strategic and operational levels, this study frames the Turkish military contributions in a unitary manner by establishing linkages between campaigns and theaters. It also contains the first detailed discussion of Ottoman operations in Galicia, Romania, and Macedonia. Erickson provides a wealth of information on Ottoman Army organization, deployments, strategy, and staff pMore information on:
Ordered to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War (Contributions in Military Studies)
John H. Morrow
The Great War is a landmark history that firmly places the First World War in the context of imperialism. Set to overturn conventional accounts of what happened during this, the first truly international conflict, it extends the study of the First World War beyond the confines of Europe and the Western Front. By recounting the experiences of people from the colonies especially those brought into the war effort either as volunteers or through conscription, John Morrow's magisterial work also unveils the impact of the war in Asia, India and Africa. From the origins of World War One to its bloody (and largely unknown) aftermath, The Great War is distinguished by its long chronological coverage, first person battle and home front accounts, its pan European and global emphasis and the integration of cultural considerations with political.More information on:
The Great War: An Imperial History
Luci Gosling
It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but, during World War I, newspaper illustrations were worth even more, not only conveying the news to anxious families at home and soldiers in battle, but also entertaining and lifting the spirits of a nation at war. Featuring work by some of the most well-known illustrators of the period fromW. Heath Robinson to Bruce Bairnsfather, this thematic collection of 250 WorldWar I magazine illustrations is published in association with The Illustrated London News (the British Harper's). The illustrations included range from light-hearted strip cartoons and line drawings, to poignant sketches and dark and hard-hitting political satire. The images not only depict events as they happened, but reveal all the moods of a nation at war. Many are published here for the first time in 90 years, creating a unique, bittersweet portrayal of the Great War and a fascinating and very human, historical and artistic reference source.More information on:
Brushes and Bayonets: Cartoons, sketches and paintings of World War I (General Military)
Various
A short history of the campaigns of World War I used as a text at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Covers the Fronties, Marne, East Prussia, Eastern Front, Dardanelles, Verdun-Somme, Italy & the Balkand, Mesopotamia & Palestine, Western Front, The German Drives, and St. Mihiel & Meuse-Argonne Operations.More information on:
A Short Military History of World War I with Atlas
Billy Bishop
Kindle edition. This was a very informative and entertaining account of what it was like to be a Canadian fighter pilot on the Western Front. I have read biographies of most of the WWI and WWII aces and this compared very favorably. It really is a fascinating story; it compares well with the classics by pilots McCudden and Lewis.More information on:
Winged Warfare - In World War I
Herbert Jager
World War I introduced the use of artillery on a hitherto unprecedented scale, changing the very nature of war from a series of set-piece battles to stalemates punctuated by attacks on frontlines. Starting with development of German artillery through 1914, this illustrated history describes in detail the light and heavy howitzers used by the Germans before going on to examine heavy mortars and long-range weapons. Specialist weapons for mountain, coastal and railway use are also covered, along with specialist engineer and infantry guns.More information on:
German Artillery of World War One
Margaret H. Darrow
Despite acts of female heroism, popular memory, as well as official memorialization in monuments and historic sites, has ignored French women's role in the First World War. This book explores stories that were never told and why they were not. These include the experiences of French women in the war, the stories they themselves told about these experiences and how French society interpreted them. The author examines the ways French women served their country - from charity work, nursing and munitions manufacture to volunteering for military service and espionage. In tracing stories about war heroines, but also about villainesses like Mata Hari, this fascinating study shows what these stories reveal about French understanding of the war, their hopes and fears for the future. While the masculine war story was unitary and unchanging, the feminine story was multiple and shifting. Initially praised for their voluntary mobilization, women's claims of patriotism were undercut by criticismsMore information on:
French Women and the First World War: War Stories of the Home Front (Legacy of the Great War)
Allen L. (Allen Leon) Churchill (Editor), Francis J. (Francis Joseph) Reynolds Francis Trevelyan Miller (Editors)
Kindle edition.This is a collection of essays and historical documents related to WWI. Some really fascinating tidbits on the war. The essay prepared by an American Admiral is fascinating to me. He believed that WWI showed that submarines weren't that impressive, and same to airplanes. He has a remarkable comment about no one doubted that a submarine could sink a ship that insisted on being sunk. He also really overstated the value of the battle cruiser, IMO. The chapters on the various countries are quite interesting. Lots on the Balkans, also. This was written during WWI, so it didn't have the full information. Still, interesting for the thoughts during the war. If you like WWI history, this is a no-brainer download for free. Haven't checked out the other volumes yet.More information on:
The Story of the Great War, Volume 1 Introductions; Special Articles; Causes of War; Diplomatic and State Papers
Terence T. Finn
"When Europe Went Mad: A Brief History of the First World War" is not your typical World War I read. Terence T. Finn offers his readers the important facts of one of the most significant wars in human history, yet presents it in a concise and comprehensive style meant for the common reader and history buff alike. "When Europe Went Mad" recounts the harrowing events of a war now nearly a century behind us, and boldly tells the story of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). Finn reminds the reader that well before General Dwight D. Eisenhower led American G.I.s into combat (1943-1945), John J. Pershing took an American army 'over there' and made history. With grace, Finn resurrects an understanding of this war's significance and ensures that its worldwide impacts, and the lives lost in the name of it, are never forgotten.More information on:
When Europe Went Mad: A Brief History of the First World War
Hans Wijers
Most accounts of the Battle of the Bulge focus on Bastogne, but the Germans' main thrust actually occurred to the north, where Sepp Dietrich's Sixth SS Panzer Army stormed through the Losheim Gap. In this region of thick forests and tiny villages, U.S. troops halted the best of the German war machine, including the 12th SS Panzer and the 3rd Fallschirmjager Divisions.More information on:
The Battle of the Bulge: The Losheim Gap / Holding the Line (Stackpole Military History Series)
Simon Jones
Osprey's study of gas warfare tactics that were employed during World War I (1914-1918). Battlefield Gas was first employed in April 1915 at the village of Langemarck near Ypres. At 1700 hours the Germans released a five mile-wide cloud of 168 tons of chlorine gas from 520 cylinders, causing panic and death in the French and Algerian trenches. Despite initial widespread condemnation and disgust, its use rapidly spread with all the armies entering into the race to produce gases, new ways to use them, and protective measures including masks and warning systems. For the first time in detail, this book charts the development of gas as a battlefield weapon and the steps taken to counter it. Delivery methods, including the use of artillery, the consequences of changing wind direction, and infantry advancing into an area just gassed, are all covered alongside key milestones in its introduction and usage. With an abundant array of artwork and photographs illustrating the gas masks, insigMore information on:
World War I Gas Warfare Tactics and Equipment (Elite)
Robert H. Ferrell & Elmer W. Sherwood
In April 1917 a sophomore from Indiana University, inspired by the stories of his grandfather’s service in the Union army during the Civil War, left school and enlisted with a National Guard unit in Indianapolis that became the 150th Field Artillery Regiment. Before long the young man, Elmer W. Sherwood, found himself in the thick of fighting in France, as his artillery regiment served in combat with the 42nd (Rainbow) Division, including the horrendous Meuse-Argonne offensive that claimed 26,000 American lives. Sherwood, who described himself as the Rainbow Hoosier, kept a diary of his time overseas, including his experiences in the army of occupation following the war’s end. Published by the Indiana Historical Society Press and edited by Robert H. Ferrell, Indiana University distinguished professor of history emeritus , A Soldier in World War I: The Diary of Elmer W. Sherwood, captures the words of the Hoosier soldier as he wrote them on the front lines. Corporal Sherwood tells of tMore information on:
A Soldier in World War I: The Diary of Elmer W. Sherwood
Lee Kennett
"In this fascinating book, Lee Kennett tells of (World War I fliers and) their experiences on all fronts and skillfully places them in proper context" (Edward M. Coffman, author of "The Old Army"). "A welcome and long overdue addition to the literature of military aviation."--Richard P. Hallion, Lindbergh Professor, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.More information on:
The First Air War: 1914-1918
Winston S. Churchill
As first lord of the admiralty and minister for war and air, Churchill stood resolute at the center of international affairs. In this classic account, he dramatically details how the tides of despair and triumph flowed and ebbed as the political and military leaders of the time navigated the dangerous currents of world conflict. Churchill vividly recounts the major campaigns that shaped the war: the furious attacks of the Marne, the naval maneuvers off Jutland, Verdun's "soul-stirring frenzy," and the surprising victory of Chemins des Dames. Here, too, he re-creates the dawn of modern warfare: the buzz of airplanes overhead, trench combat, artillery thunder, and the threat of chemical warfare. In Churchill's inimitable voice we hear how "the war to end all wars" instead gave birth to every war that would follow, including the current war in Iraq. Written with unprecedented flair and knowledge of the events, The World Crisis remains the single greatest history of World War I, essentialMore information on:
The World Crisis, 1911-1918
Shari Lynn Wigle
All of our strength we'll gladly give you ... In their unit song, Grace Anderson and the Base Hospital No. 115 nurses promised the soldiers: "Pride of America, we're with you, all of our strength we'll gladly give you ." More than ten thousand World War I army nurses volunteered for a perilous overseas venture. They aided the troops in the fight for democracy before American women had the right to vote. Grace, a nurse anesthetist, helped save lives in the operating rooms and hospital wards. She healed "our boys" and her own heartaches-a life-changing romance and the tragic loss of a loved one. Her 1917-1925 letters follow her from Camp Pike training to France, occupied Germany, and her return home. The narrative interweaves her correspondence with World War I history and her personal life, including her secret relationship with an army surgeon. The true story focuses on the human side of the Great War and recounts Grace's challenges in the postwar years. About the Author During a homeMore information on:
Pride of America, We're With You: The Letters of Grace Anderson U.S. Army Nurse Corps, World War I (American Voices Series)
Peter Cooksley
From bombing to rationing, from civil defense to war work, the face of Britain was radically changed as a result of World War I. More than once Britain was almost brought to its knees by unrestricted submarine warfare, and by the end of the war German Zeppelins and Gotha bombers had managed to bomb many parts of Eastern England, while in 1914 the German High Seas fleet bombarded the East Coast. The First World War was the first war to have a huge impact on civilians and few were safe from attack. In this book, Peter Cooksley tells us the true story of civilians at war on the Home Front.More information on:
The Home Front: Civilian Life in World War One (Revealing History)
Bradley World War 1 Group
The men and women of Bradford, along with their cousins in other British towns and cities, made a distinguished if unhappy contribution to the First World War, as war memorials all around the city make clear. This book weaves together many personal accounts to tell the full story of Bradford at war - not just the experience of the trenches but primarly the impact that the war had at home: the part played by factories that manufactured aircraft and machine tools, the story of one of Britain's foremost sons, J.B. Priestley (publishing for the first time some of his letters home), the background to a massive munitions explosion, and of course, everyday life on the home front. Amply illustrated and impeccably researched, this book will appeal to anyone who is interested in Bradford's history.More information on:
Bradford in the First World War
George B. Clark
When the United States entered World War I in 1917, it sent the American Expeditionary Force to relieve the worn and beleaguered Allied Forces. On September 20, 1917, Congress approved the creation of the Second Division of the American Expeditionary Force. A hybrid Marine/Army unit, it was conceived and ultimately formed overseas, primarily from units in France. Giving themselves the nickname "Second to None," the Second Division effectively stopped the German drive on Paris in June 1918, becoming the first American unit to fight the enemy in a major engagement and revitalizing the Allied war effort. This volume details the fighting experiences of the Second Division, from its creation in the fall of 1917 through 1919. The book follows the unit from training in Toulon through the major campaigns including Chateau Thierry, Soissons, Blanc Mont and Meuse Argonne and records the experiences of the men who served. Appendices provide information regarding the pedigree of the division anMore information on:
The Second Infantry Division in World War I: A History of the American Expeditionary Force Regulars, 1917-1919
David Lomas
The first major clash of the Great War, Mons came as a nasty shock to the Imperial German Army. Assured by their commanders that they would sweep the French and their British allies in the British Expeditionary Force--"that contemptible little army"--into the sea in a matter of weeks; they were stopped in their tracks at Mons by a numerically inferior British force. Eventually forced to fall back by overwhelming German numbers, the British carried out a masterful fighting retreat across Belgium and northern France. David Lomas examines not just the battle of Mons itself but also the ensuing British retreat, the battle of Le Cateau and several smaller engagements. The British Expeditionary Force of 1914 was one of the most highly trained armies ever fielded by the United Kingdom: having been denied the requested number of machine-guns due to financial considerations its soldiers had been taught to fire 15 aimed shots per minute, in some cases more, from their excellent Lee Enfield rifleMore information on:
Mons 1914: Britain's Tactical Triumph (Praeger Illustrated Military History)
Ralph Barker
This accessible text tells the story of the most star-studded of fighter squadrons, the RFC, and its part in all the major battles of World War I, from Bloody April 1917, when the squadrons suffered enormous casualties, through Third Ypres and Passchendaele to the chaotic retreat from Ludendorff's offensive. Drawing extensively from letters and diaries of the men who took part, Ralph Barker creates a bird's eye view of the battleground from the menacing skies above France and brings fresh off the page the exhiliration of combat, the debility of the "shakes", the grit of observers and gunners, the strain of low-level flying, the bonding of pilot and ground mechanic, and the awareness of tragedy as brave men gave their lives.More information on:
Brief History of the Royal Flying Corps in World War One (Brief Histories)
Beth Linker
With U.S. soldiers stationed around the world and engaged in multiple conflicts, Americans will be forced for the foreseeable future to come to terms with those permanently disabled in battle. At the moment, we accept rehabilitation as the proper social and cultural response to the wounded, swiftly returning injured combatants to their civilian lives. But this was not always the case, as Beth Linker reveals in her provocative new book, War’s Waste. Linker explains how, before entering World War I, the United States sought a way to avoid the enormous cost of providing injured soldiers with pensions, which it had done since the Revolutionary War. Emboldened by their faith in the new social and medical sciences, reformers pushed rehabilitation as a means to “rebuild” disabled soldiers, relieving the nation of a monetary burden and easing the decision to enter the Great War. Linker’s narrative moves from the professional development of orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists to theMore information on:
War's Waste: Rehabilitation in World War I America
David Silbey
Millions of men volunteered to leave home, hearth and family to go to a foreign land to fight in 1914, the start of the biggest war in British history. It was a war fought by soldier-citizens, millions strong, most of whom had volunteered willingly to go. They made up the army that first held, and then, in 1918, thrust back the German Army to win the Great War. The British 'Tommy' has been lionized in the decades since the war, but little attention has been made in the literature to what motivated the ordinary British man to go to France, especially in the early years when Britain relied on the voluntary system to fill the ranks. Why would a regular working-class man leave behind his job, family and friends to go to fight a war that defended not British soil, but French? Why would a British man risk his life to defend places whose names he could pronounce only barely, if at all? This book answers why, in the words of the men who were there. Young and old, from cities and country, siMore information on:
The British Working Class and Enthusiasm for War, 1914-1916 (Military History and Policy)
Michèle Barrett
Casualty Figures is not about the millions who died in the First World War; it is about the countless thousands of men who lived as long-term casualties—not of shrapnel and gas, but of the bleak trauma of the slaughter they escaped. In this powerful new book, Michèle Barrett uncovers the lives of five ordinary soldiers who endured the “war to end all wars,” and how they dealt with its horrors, both at the front and after the war’s end. Through their stories, Barrett sheds new light on the nature of the psychological damage of war, which for the first time became both widely acknowledged and profoundly controversial through the term "shell shock." Drawing on a wealth of previously unpublished material, Casualty Figures is a moving and original account of the psychological havoc caused by war."More information on:
Casualty Figures: How Five Men Survived the First World War
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- 1st of September 2023 marks 24 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.
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