One of the most critically acclaimed war novels in existence, this viscerally realistic portrait of service in the german trenches during the first. Official germany would not accept any responsibility for the war. That german army is also the best example of a particular period of military thought, when virtually the whole manpower of the european nations was integrated into mass conscript armies, supported. Known as panzerkreuzer, literally armored cruiser, the eight ships of the class were to be involved in several early north sea skirmishes before the great pitched battle of jutland where they inflicted devastating damage on the royal navys. World war 1 somme battle stories by alec john dawson. The most loved and hated novel about world war i history. First of all, as a standalone book, this is the best, single, short introduction to. Books tagged german history national wwi museum and. Translations from the german official history of the. The eponymous german soldier, anton, has no interest in nazi. Jul 01, 2014 really, you could read any pat barker novel life class, tobys room, another world for a moving evocation of the travails of the men and women coming of age during the great war. By downloading libby to your smartphone, you can access thousands of ebooks and audiobooks from your library for free anytime and anywhere. Fab stories of world war i warfare, published in 1916 in the midst of the war. Discover librarianselected research resources on world war i causes from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic.
Excerpted from world war i on wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Apart, however, from its exceptional value as a war document, this book has also the interest of being one of the most candid selfportraits of a poet, warts and all, ever painted. An obvious one is the difference between people who think that the first world war was caused by german aggression and those who think it was all a terrible. Best book i have ever read about the war was a higher call. Nov 10, 2011 the first world war 1998, by john keegan. Fighting the first world war by william philpott overlook, 2014. Five books on world war i history smithsonian magazine. Official history of the imperial german forces the first world war, 19141918 official history of the german armies.
Jul 18, 2014 this summer marks the 100year anniversary of the start of world war i. The best books on world war i five books expert recommendations. A look at the books worth reading for the 100th anniversary of the armistice. From actionpacked eyewitness accounts such as guadalcanal diary to devastating holocaust memoirs like the diary of anne frank and night to the thrilling espionage tale of operation mincemeat, world war ii is the subject of some of the most fascinating and influential nonfiction books ever written. Causes world war i was immediately precipitated by the assassination of archduke francis ferdinand of austriahungary by a serbian nationalist in 1914. A sketch of three civilisations london et al hodder and stoughton, 1915, by ford madox ford multiple formats at. Even better, the new version are spiralbound, which stands up better against wear and tear. Hence two stars on goodreads and i didnt personally add it to this list. Dec 12, 2011 this involves a discussion of tactics and emphasises the key enabling technology of fire control and gun mountings. Books listed below have been placed in rather broad categories depending on their subject matter, and a book may appear in more than one category. Germanamericans during world war i immigrant entrepreneurship.
The imperial chancellors speech to the reichstag on the 4th august has been added as an appendix, and a few footnotes have been inserted to point out certain. This is a topoftheline read that i highly recommend. Targeted at working class men, the magazine was heavily illustrated and often carried stories about german atrocities both true and fabricated. The add books button is on the top right, just above the bit where you vote. What are some good books of world war 2 from a german. In august 1914 the mobilization of imperial germanys 800,000strong army ushered in the first great war of the modern age a war which still stands as the greatest slaughter of soldiers in history. During world war i, the german empire was one of the central powers that lost the war. My top 10 has both old and new books in it, and they cover a wide. It is particularly good on the war fought by the german army in africa a war fought with few resources and fought against enormous odds. Graves autobiography covers his world war one experience, in which he served as a lieutenant and then. Graves and others who experienced the war firsthand could never go back to living a life of equanimity.
One of the most critically acclaimed war novels in existence, this viscerally realistic portrait of service in the german trenches during the first world war is seen through the eyes of a young man who quickly loses his enthusiasm for battle and struggles to hold onto his humanity. List of world war i books is a bibliography using apa style citations of a selection of books on. The german white book world war i document archive. Mar 21, 2014 world war 1 somme battle stories by alec john dawson 1872 1951. But those hopes soon deteriorated as germanys attack on france failed, austriahungarys armies suffered catastrophic losses, and britains ruthless blockade brought both nations to the brink of starvation. Liebheit and thiesen of berlin under the title the german white book. All series air vanguard aircraft of the aces aviation elite units battle orders campaign combat combat aircraft command duel elite essential histories essential histories specials fortress general aviation general military graphic history men at arms new vanguard raid warrior weapon xplanes anatomy of the. And its almost all about just the first year of the war, 1914.
For the central powers, the first world war started with high hopes for an easy victory. First serialized in 1928 in the german newspaper vossische zeitunghe, the. An incredible true story of combat and chivalry in the wartorn skies of world war ii if i could only own one book about the war it would be that one. His books include the eastern front 19141917 and world war one. List of books and articles about world war i online. Siegfried sassoon the complete memoirs of george sherston. Wilhelmine germany and the first world war 18901918 compiled by the german historical institute in washington, d. It gives you a good sense of the whole war, including the peace settlement at versailles. The second book on your list is to arms 2001, volume one of hew strachans book the first world war.
The outcomes of world war i would be important factors in the development of world war ii 21 years later. A comprehensive photographic study of the kaisers naval forces judge. It is a palpable account of the war that deserves to be consideredand has been for some timeone of the greatest war. So first on your list is a book by michael howard, the first world war 2003, which is a very nice, readable introduction to world war i. The book also provides a concise account of the german army in its numerous campaigns throughout the great war on many fronts. Some of the best books about world war i book riot. Feb 26, 2018 this post on world war ii books is sponsored by libby. In remembrance of the great war, the massive online book club that is goodreads has pooled together 20 of the most highly rated novels about the conflict. What are the best childrens books on the second world war. It was written as a series of 15 volumes and published between 1925 and 1930. Up until that point, german americans, as a group, had been spared much of the discrimination, abuse, rejection, and collective mistrust experienced by so many different racial and ethnic groups in the history of the united states.
The books have detailed maps of all campaigns, not just the ones involving americans. Remembering world war i with 10 astounding books barnes. All quiet on the western front by erich maria remarque, the guns of august by barbara w. Germany and austriahungary in world war i by alexander watson basic books, oct. Europe and the mediterrean atlas and the second world war asia and the pacific atlas. Books on world war i by roger kennedy, hudson park. A photographic history of the first few months of the first world war, looking at just about everything apart from the fighting itself, so covers the prewar period, the initial mobilisation, propaganda, key personalities of 1914, the fate of europes many refugees, ending with a look at christmas 1914, by which time it was clear the war would. Whether youre a history buff wellversed in the events of the great war, or someone who has just begun to be curious, weve got a collection of books to help you navigate the complex, fearsome, and fascinating facts and stories. You need pretty strong wrists if you want to read it in bed. Abingdon press, c1918, by luther barton wilson illustrated html at between st.
Since ring of steel focuses more on political, economic, social, cultural and religious issues, though with a general view of the ongoing military action, see holger herwigs 1997 classicthe first world war. It began participation in the conflict after the declaration of war against serbia by its ally, austriahungary. One of the great legacies of world war i is that as soon as the. Herwig buy on amazon this is a good english language book on the other side of the war. The great war dawning germany and its army at the start of world war i. Retells the war from the perspectives of the instigators and losers, of their leaders and the people, and how the war shattered states and left a poisonous legacy of suffering, race hatred and violence. One reason why people may have shied away from it is fear that its. This document is a reprint of a pamphlet published by messrs. Countdown to war by sean mcmeekin basic books, 2014. German east africa world war 1 colonial warfare i the great. The title is simple and straightforward, and yet in and of itself poses an enormous challenge to its writer. I was fascinated by the second world war as a child and begged my mother to. There are virtually no documents from world war i because world war ii destroyed them.
Reexamines the causes and lingering effects of the war, drawing on experiences of frontline soldiers, munitions workers, politicians and diplomats, and shows how u. The german army in world war i 1 osprey publishing. List of books and articles about world war i causes online. Dec 09, 2008 the books has since been broken up, expanded, and rebranded as the second world war. In this book, graves bids farewell to a way of life for the millions who suffered during the first world war. World war i, 191418, also known as the great war, conflict, chiefly in europe, among most of the great western powers. Dec 15, 2014 this is the most comprehensive, englishlanguage study of the german imperial navys battlecruisers that served in the first world war. World war, 19141918 america here and over there new york and cincinnati. The russian origins of the first world war by sean mcmeekin penguin, 2011 maintains it was a war russia wanted as a bid for control of the balkans and near east. Germany and austriahungary, 19141918which focuses on the military aspects. Mar, 2010 the 10 best books about war from the letters of an early 19thcentury rifleman to a housewifes account of the second world war, max hastings, military historian and exwar reporter, chooses. Six novels that get to the truth of world war i the washington post. The 17 best books on world war i of 2020 thoughtco.
Jan 20, 2014 it is a permanently valuable work of literary art, and indispensable for the historian either of the first world war or of modern english poetry. Convinced that france was about to attack its western frontier, germany declared war aug. But i accept that a lot of people think its ace, so by all means. I dont dislike birdsong, it just didnt like it either and really dont consider it to be one of the best world war 1 novels. All quiet on the western front, by erich maria remarque remarque served in the german army during the war and was wounded five times. Tony bradmans top 10 books about the first world war. Jul 03, 2014 choosing a top 10 has been a challenge there are so many great books for children and young people about the first world war. Literature in world war i is generally thought to include poems, novels and drama. Sep 14, 2001 world war i introduced the use of artillery on a hitherto unprecedented scale, changing the very nature of war from a series of setpiece battles to stalemates punctuated by attacks on frontlines. Sep 19, 2014 world war i had a devastating effect on german americans and their cultural heritage. Although the canon continues to be challenged, the texts most frequently taught in schools and universities are lyrics by siegfried sassoon and wilfred owen. German forces fought the allies on both the eastern and western fronts, although german territory itself remained relatively safe from widespread. Starting with development of german artillery through 1914, this illustrated history describes in detail the light and heavy howitzers used by the. In december 1915, war illustrated published an article about how soldiers found solace from reading and needed books to be sent from britain.