What do you think?
Rate this book
A small black bottle or a torch came sailing through the air, and landed on the side of the car, close to the Archduke. An instant later came a terrific bang, the road exploded in a shower of dust and stones, and tiny sharp things went flying through the air like angry bees.
In June 1914, Louis and his brother Thomas are enjoying the European summer in a small town near Sarajevo. In the shadow of the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne, the world erupts into war and Louis' life changes forever. Old Europe is torn apart and Louis finds himself in the midst of his own battle - and fighting for the truth in war means that sometimes even your own side is against you.
In June 1914, Louis and his brother Thomas are enjoying the European summer in a small town near Sarajevo. In the shadow of the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne, the world erupts into war and Louis' life changes forever. Old Europe is torn apart and Louis finds himself in the midst of his own battle - and fighting for the truth in war means that sometimes even your own side is against you.
234 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2014
8 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Sophie Masson
130 books146 followersBorn in Indonesia of French parents, Sophie Masson was sent to live with her paternal grandmother in Toulouse, France, when she was just a baby and lived there till she was nearly five, when her parents came back from Indonesia and took her to Australia. All the rest of her childhood, the family stayed in Australia, with frequent trips back to France, and this dual heritage underpins a good deal of Sophie's work.
Sophie's first book appeared in 1990 and since then she has published more than seventy books, for children, young adults and adults. Her books have been published in Australia, the USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and many other countries. She has also had many short stories and articles published in newspapers, magazines, and online journals.
Sophie holds a BA and M.Litt in French and English literature, and a PhD in Creative Practice. A former Chair of the Australian Society of Authors, she is the current Chair (2021) of the New England Writers' Centre and of the Small Press Network. She is also the President committee of the New England and North West sub-branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia, NSW branch.
Sophie has received several awards for her creative work, including the Patricia Wrightson Prize in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, and the YA category of the Aurealis Awards. In 2019 she received an AM in the Order of Australia for her significant service to literature as an author, a publisher, and through service to literary organisations.
Sophie's website is at www.sophiemassonauthor.com
She has a writing blog at www.firebirdfeathers.com
Her You Tube channel, with trailers to many of her books, is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWLa...
She is also a regular contributor to the popular authorship blog Writer Unboxed, www.writerunboxed.com
Sophie's first book appeared in 1990 and since then she has published more than seventy books, for children, young adults and adults. Her books have been published in Australia, the USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and many other countries. She has also had many short stories and articles published in newspapers, magazines, and online journals.
Sophie holds a BA and M.Litt in French and English literature, and a PhD in Creative Practice. A former Chair of the Australian Society of Authors, she is the current Chair (2021) of the New England Writers' Centre and of the Small Press Network. She is also the President committee of the New England and North West sub-branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia, NSW branch.
Sophie has received several awards for her creative work, including the Patricia Wrightson Prize in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, and the YA category of the Aurealis Awards. In 2019 she received an AM in the Order of Australia for her significant service to literature as an author, a publisher, and through service to literary organisations.
Sophie's website is at www.sophiemassonauthor.com
She has a writing blog at www.firebirdfeathers.com
Her You Tube channel, with trailers to many of her books, is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWLa...
She is also a regular contributor to the popular authorship blog Writer Unboxed, www.writerunboxed.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 21, 2017
'1914' is a superbly researched and written story that packs more information and emotional impact than its length may initially suggest. The clever conceit of telling the story from the perspective of Louis Jullian, French-Australian son of an ambassador, puts him at the scene of key events.
The story begins in Vienna with a close circle of friends and family who will be scattered by war. As a cadet journalist and photographer, narrator Louis is witness to the (almost farcical) assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo. He is later a war correspondent at some of the early battles in France, most hauntingly the Aisne River where the French Fifth and Sixth Armies and BEF (British Expeditionary Force) are massacred by German machine gun-fire. This should strain credibility but the narrative is handled with such assurance, attention to detail and emotional drive that we never question its narrative coincidences.
Masson fulfils whatever educational brief this series required but achieves this with deft and moving storytelling. Even to the keen student of history it is worth being reminded of the web of international alliances and short-sighted recklessness that drew Europe into war. How timely is the poignant observation when the brief truce at Christmas 1914 fails to end hostilities: "Someone would always think they had a chance at victory and would be prepared to pay any price."
There are some wonderful lesser known stories here as well such as the Renault taxis ferrying French troops to the front. And the focus on British press censorship (Kitchener threatens to shoot any journalist found near the front) also speaks to us now as we face threats to press freedom.
For someone who has read much scholarly history and literature around this conflict, I found this a refreshingly unsentimental and yet moving account. It manages to also concisely explain the main geopolitical, technological and strategic developments (imperialist ambitions, new weaponry and trench warfare) that will determine the course of the war. Many readers familiar with the more famous battles of the Western Front will be surprised by '1914' when hopes of a short war were still alive and a generation of young men and women did not know what horrors they faced.
The story begins in Vienna with a close circle of friends and family who will be scattered by war. As a cadet journalist and photographer, narrator Louis is witness to the (almost farcical) assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo. He is later a war correspondent at some of the early battles in France, most hauntingly the Aisne River where the French Fifth and Sixth Armies and BEF (British Expeditionary Force) are massacred by German machine gun-fire. This should strain credibility but the narrative is handled with such assurance, attention to detail and emotional drive that we never question its narrative coincidences.
Masson fulfils whatever educational brief this series required but achieves this with deft and moving storytelling. Even to the keen student of history it is worth being reminded of the web of international alliances and short-sighted recklessness that drew Europe into war. How timely is the poignant observation when the brief truce at Christmas 1914 fails to end hostilities: "Someone would always think they had a chance at victory and would be prepared to pay any price."
There are some wonderful lesser known stories here as well such as the Renault taxis ferrying French troops to the front. And the focus on British press censorship (Kitchener threatens to shoot any journalist found near the front) also speaks to us now as we face threats to press freedom.
For someone who has read much scholarly history and literature around this conflict, I found this a refreshingly unsentimental and yet moving account. It manages to also concisely explain the main geopolitical, technological and strategic developments (imperialist ambitions, new weaponry and trench warfare) that will determine the course of the war. Many readers familiar with the more famous battles of the Western Front will be surprised by '1914' when hopes of a short war were still alive and a generation of young men and women did not know what horrors they faced.
April 23, 2019
Excellent book. Page-turner.
A captivating tale of young men, mere children from the well-to-do families eager to set out for one of the bloodiest wars in human history but only they don’t know it yet. The story of the real events in 1914 is so vividly written, I believed the characters were real people. I cared about them; I feared for them; it shattered me when death cut the lives of some of them or bullets injured others devastatingly.
This is an expertly well-crafted view of the year seen through the eyes of the main character, Louis Jullian. The book transports the reader into the place and time in which the characters live and educating on the political situation in an unintrusive manner.
I couldn’t imagine a better way than to learn history in such an engaging way.
Perfectly depicted is the pre-war atmosphere in Europa and the naïve expectations of many that the European powers will pacify the warmongers or even when the war has begun defeat them within months.
This emotion-provoking tale will stay with me for a long time.
I heartily recommend this book for lovers of historical fiction, for adults and teenagers.
A captivating tale of young men, mere children from the well-to-do families eager to set out for one of the bloodiest wars in human history but only they don’t know it yet. The story of the real events in 1914 is so vividly written, I believed the characters were real people. I cared about them; I feared for them; it shattered me when death cut the lives of some of them or bullets injured others devastatingly.
This is an expertly well-crafted view of the year seen through the eyes of the main character, Louis Jullian. The book transports the reader into the place and time in which the characters live and educating on the political situation in an unintrusive manner.
I couldn’t imagine a better way than to learn history in such an engaging way.
Perfectly depicted is the pre-war atmosphere in Europa and the naïve expectations of many that the European powers will pacify the warmongers or even when the war has begun defeat them within months.
This emotion-provoking tale will stay with me for a long time.
I heartily recommend this book for lovers of historical fiction, for adults and teenagers.
December 30, 2014
I really enjoyed Australia's Great War 1914 and the way it thoroughly looked at the event leading up to the beginning of World War 1 and how it affected many different people.
This story focuses on Louis Jullian and his family who were present in Sarajevo when the assassination of the Archduke took place. Louis and his elder brother Thomas were aspiring journalists; Thomas the writer and Louis the photographer. However, when the war breaks out, Louis's father, who is a French diplomat, is sent to Belgium.
The book looks in close detail the life of a war correspondent and the horrendous conditions and battles the soldiers were forced to endure as Europe adapts to the new age of warfare; where men no longer fight hand to hand, but behind machines.
Overall, Sophie Masson has created an extraordinary read that I would recommend to anyone who was interested in WWI, especially how it affected the soldiers, civilians and diplomats alike.
This story focuses on Louis Jullian and his family who were present in Sarajevo when the assassination of the Archduke took place. Louis and his elder brother Thomas were aspiring journalists; Thomas the writer and Louis the photographer. However, when the war breaks out, Louis's father, who is a French diplomat, is sent to Belgium.
The book looks in close detail the life of a war correspondent and the horrendous conditions and battles the soldiers were forced to endure as Europe adapts to the new age of warfare; where men no longer fight hand to hand, but behind machines.
Overall, Sophie Masson has created an extraordinary read that I would recommend to anyone who was interested in WWI, especially how it affected the soldiers, civilians and diplomats alike.
September 28, 2014
Story of a boy who witnesses the assassination of the Arch Duke in Sarajevo at the outbreak of WWI. Louis' whole world changes as his family and friends cope with war. Those who were once friends are now considered enemies. Louis and Thomas his brother like to write and take photographs for fun. As war breaks out Thomas goes off to fight but Louis is too young. Instead he becomes a was correspondent.
Tied in beautifully with the SBS program Hidden Histories: Forgotten Photos of WWI which I watched on September 5th. It looked at the amateur photographers of WWI with the development of the pocket camera. The change in the content of the photographs changed as the war progressed. It also highlighted the perception of the English Government to these images of war and their impact on the people back home.
Tied in beautifully with the SBS program Hidden Histories: Forgotten Photos of WWI which I watched on September 5th. It looked at the amateur photographers of WWI with the development of the pocket camera. The change in the content of the photographs changed as the war progressed. It also highlighted the perception of the English Government to these images of war and their impact on the people back home.
January 27, 2015
This was an amazing book that was moving and powerful. Although being factual, this book also had inspirational characters that were realistic and relatable. I can't believe Jamie died. I wasn't really that affected by Bertie but was very upset about Hansel's mental health. It's hard to imagine the war and the trauma these brave soldiers, men and women went through, so much so that they were altered forever.
This novel is a real tearjerker.
This novel is a real tearjerker.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2022
Louis, the son of a French diplomat, and his brother Thomas witness the first shots of WWI when Gavrilo Princip assassinates Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. As their international group of friends rush to enlist, they find find themselves on opposite sides as war is declared between the major European powers. Louis, desperate to follow his older brother, travels to the front lines as a war correspondent - but nothing can prepare him for the horrors of this new, modern style of warfare.
I read this to prepare for a uni assessment on using literature to teach different curriculum outcomes, and think it has great potential for developing students’ understandings of the events of 1914 from the assassination through to the Christmas Truce. This novel is part of a historical fiction series that will hook young adult readers; though at times the prose can feel a little too much like expositive info-dump, overall it was an enjoyable read.
I read this to prepare for a uni assessment on using literature to teach different curriculum outcomes, and think it has great potential for developing students’ understandings of the events of 1914 from the assassination through to the Christmas Truce. This novel is part of a historical fiction series that will hook young adult readers; though at times the prose can feel a little too much like expositive info-dump, overall it was an enjoyable read.
November 29, 2018
The first of a four book series about world war one (Is there fifth 1918? One would expect it since the war finished 11.11.18 but perhaps it is either not listed as part of the series or not published yet.)
Anyway I had assumed the series was about the same characters but each book is self contained and about a different year in the war with different characters and by different authors.
This took some of the excitement away as I was hoping to travel with some people through the whole war. Anyway this was well written and a good story, I just wish I could have travelled further with them.
Anyway I had assumed the series was about the same characters but each book is self contained and about a different year in the war with different characters and by different authors.
This took some of the excitement away as I was hoping to travel with some people through the whole war. Anyway this was well written and a good story, I just wish I could have travelled further with them.
July 8, 2018
This was a good read, the story of a family and the experiences of different members during 1914. Well plotted in allowing the family to be in Sarajevo, and also then back in France, the book helps younger readers to get an understanding of the change in methods of war that led to the death toll.
Unfortunately an antibiotic is used before it was developed, but otherwise the book was a good read.
Unfortunately an antibiotic is used before it was developed, but otherwise the book was a good read.
November 25, 2019
This book is amazing. After reading it, I'm so hype on rrading the whole sequals. Spoliers ahead. It is so accurate about choosing the fit one like they don't choose Lois because of his heaeing problems. A lot of parts are very good but some can be very emotional like his friend he met when the war start died at the year 1915.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2024
Great setting, pacing and research but the ending is very rushed and honestly makes no sense. It feels like the author was limited by a word count or something. The group of friends had an interesting dynamic that didn't get explored as much as it should have, what even happened to that Serbian guy, Nikola? Honestly should have just been a longer stand-alone book.
July 4, 2017
A great interpretation of what living in 1914 would be like and a fun way to learn more about World War 1, though at times heart-wrenching.
March 28, 2016
Realistic, gritty detail compacted into a fast moving account of the early months of World War 1 in France. Young Louis Jullian (16), his brother Thomas (19) and friends, are all part of a friendship group created from their parents' diplomatic missions in Europe. When war is declared, Thomas and several of the others join up - but find themselves on opposing sides. As their whole world is turned upside down, Louis realizes the only way he can be part of it is by using his new camera and becoming a war correspondent for the French. With great luck on his side, he proceeds to log newspaper reports and photos for a world that is hungry for information about the reality of this new and grim war. This novel is part of the series Australia's Great War, and is followed by Book 2, 1915 by Sally Murphy. The subsequent books will be published each year till 2018. Masson has done a superb job with presenting the emotions as well as the details of the beginning of the war, and her research, in Historical Notes, is also very interesting.
September 7, 2015
This book is the first in a series, to written by different authors, that will illuminate events in each year of World War 1 (the Great War) through the experiences of a variety of young characters.
It is a great novel to read and to introduce young readers to the events of World War 1. It is a narrative that manages to be sensitive and exciting whilst also being respectful to the historical events that it seeks to put a personal take upon. Younger readers, in middle to upper primary and lower secondary schools, would enjoy reading this story.
It is a great novel to read and to introduce young readers to the events of World War 1. It is a narrative that manages to be sensitive and exciting whilst also being respectful to the historical events that it seeks to put a personal take upon. Younger readers, in middle to upper primary and lower secondary schools, would enjoy reading this story.
November 6, 2015
The first of many books in a tale of WWI, in 1914. Louis is a young reporter who actually recorded on camera the beginning of World War 1, and using pictures and words manage to recover much information about his friends, his siblings and eventually the end of the war.
Captivating story accurately portraying the beginning of world war 1.
Captivating story accurately portraying the beginning of world war 1.
April 27, 2017
Okay, in the main it's well written. Vivid characters, the terrible turmoil of war, all very well drawn.
But I cannot get past the fact that the protagonist can, apparently, travel in time.
In chapter 2, he is present at the assassination of the Grand Archduke Ferdinand and his wife and is wounded by shrapnel, coming down with an infection.
In chapter 3, the doctor is called and this happens:
'"Shrapnel. From the bomb blast," the doctor replied. "Extraordinary. It had become lodged, and that has caused the infection." He gave me a dose of penicillin and a painkiller...'
(chapter 3, p.28)
PENICILLIN. Which was fourteen years off being identified (thanks, Alexander Fleming!), and another twenty or so off being successfully mass produced (thanks, Howard Florey!).
This is one of the most egregious errors in historical fiction I've ever seen. How the heck such a massive mistake got through the writer, editors and publishers I DON'T know.
(oh, and the Battle of the Somme happened in 1916, not 1914. In case anyone reads the book and wonders about that.)
But I cannot get past the fact that the protagonist can, apparently, travel in time.
In chapter 2, he is present at the assassination of the Grand Archduke Ferdinand and his wife and is wounded by shrapnel, coming down with an infection.
In chapter 3, the doctor is called and this happens:
'"Shrapnel. From the bomb blast," the doctor replied. "Extraordinary. It had become lodged, and that has caused the infection." He gave me a dose of penicillin and a painkiller...'
(chapter 3, p.28)
PENICILLIN. Which was fourteen years off being identified (thanks, Alexander Fleming!), and another twenty or so off being successfully mass produced (thanks, Howard Florey!).
This is one of the most egregious errors in historical fiction I've ever seen. How the heck such a massive mistake got through the writer, editors and publishers I DON'T know.
(oh, and the Battle of the Somme happened in 1916, not 1914. In case anyone reads the book and wonders about that.)
Read
November 2, 2017dope
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews