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Voices from the Front: An Oral History of the Great War
Every man who served in the Great War is now deceased, but they have left behind them an enormous collection of oral history, which captures the authentic voices of the front line soldiers.
In Voices from the Front, oral historian Peter Hart brings together accounts from across the conflict, from soldiers, sailors and airmen, from officers and privates alike. In the course of his research, he talked to men who saw their friends die in front of them, who were seriously wounded themselves, men who refused to fight on principle and those whose indomitable spirit carried them through thick and thin. Sometimes they were there at crucial turning points in the war - going over the top in the slaughter of the Somme in 1916 or punching through the German lines to victory in 1918 - and sometimes they sweated, toiled and suffered on a forgotten front, thousands of miles from home.
In the vein of The Beauty and the Sorrow, this is the First World War seen through the eyes of the men who experienced it for themselves.
In Voices from the Front, oral historian Peter Hart brings together accounts from across the conflict, from soldiers, sailors and airmen, from officers and privates alike. In the course of his research, he talked to men who saw their friends die in front of them, who were seriously wounded themselves, men who refused to fight on principle and those whose indomitable spirit carried them through thick and thin. Sometimes they were there at crucial turning points in the war - going over the top in the slaughter of the Somme in 1916 or punching through the German lines to victory in 1918 - and sometimes they sweated, toiled and suffered on a forgotten front, thousands of miles from home.
In the vein of The Beauty and the Sorrow, this is the First World War seen through the eyes of the men who experienced it for themselves.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published August 27, 2015
9 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
About the author
Peter Hart
41 books194 followersPeter Hart is a British military historian.
He has been an oral historian at Sound Archive of Imperial War Museum in London since 1981.
He has written mainly on British participation in the First World War. His books include; The Somme, Jutland 1916, Bloody April on the air war in 1917, Passchendaele, Aces Falling (on the air war in 1918), 1918 A Very British Victory and Gallipoli.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
He has been an oral historian at Sound Archive of Imperial War Museum in London since 1981.
He has written mainly on British participation in the First World War. His books include; The Somme, Jutland 1916, Bloody April on the air war in 1917, Passchendaele, Aces Falling (on the air war in 1918), 1918 A Very British Victory and Gallipoli.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 6, 2022
This is a great book. Peter Hart is the oral historian at the Imperial War Museum so he has access to a vast library of oral accounts, although based on this I assume most of his interviewees were British. The backbone of the book is a broadly chronological history of the Western front, interspersed with chapters covering the air war, war at sea, the East, and life in the trenches. Hart’s subjects include privates & officers, from pilots to miners, infantry, tank drivers, artillery, and seamen.
There’s a danger oral histories, especially of WW1, can sometimes be a little repetitive, but Hart avoids that through such well chosen and varied accounts. He also has a good ear for humour, although some of it’s predictably dark. His accounts are strung together with minimal narrative, just enough to give a sense of what’s going on and how participants fit into wider events. My only criticism is the absence of maps, or even the odd photo to break up the text.
If you’re looking for a strategic overview of the war, carry on looking. But if you’re looking for an enjoyable and reasonably comprehensive account of WW1 military life, you could do a lot worse.
There’s a danger oral histories, especially of WW1, can sometimes be a little repetitive, but Hart avoids that through such well chosen and varied accounts. He also has a good ear for humour, although some of it’s predictably dark. His accounts are strung together with minimal narrative, just enough to give a sense of what’s going on and how participants fit into wider events. My only criticism is the absence of maps, or even the odd photo to break up the text.
If you’re looking for a strategic overview of the war, carry on looking. But if you’re looking for an enjoyable and reasonably comprehensive account of WW1 military life, you could do a lot worse.
April 27, 2023
An excellent if guide strenuous read. Peter Hart, in his normal style, relies heavily on primary sources and oral history to give a thorough overview of the entire war. Although the British Expeditionary Force (and other commonwealth troops) plays an important part, we also hear from French, American, German and various other sources as the book shifts its focus from the western theater to the east, to Gallipoli, to Mesopotamia and other places.
My only complaint is that practically all of the writing deals with the actual battles themselves. While of course their thoughts, feelings, fears and concerns come through in their writings that deal with the actual battle experiences, I would have loved to hear more from them on the actual non-battle life in the trenches and their other thoughts during this time. But maybe that would have been beyond the scope of the book altogether, as even now the book is quite lengthy.
My only complaint is that practically all of the writing deals with the actual battles themselves. While of course their thoughts, feelings, fears and concerns come through in their writings that deal with the actual battle experiences, I would have loved to hear more from them on the actual non-battle life in the trenches and their other thoughts during this time. But maybe that would have been beyond the scope of the book altogether, as even now the book is quite lengthy.
March 31, 2021
This was an incredibly well written book! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about WW1. It only speaks about the British involvement and does not touch on the American involvement, but still a very, very good book!
January 20, 2019
Hart at his very best. The book moves effortlessly through the years and theatres of the Great War utilising the testimonials of those that were there, many of whom he had interviewed himself and the book reflects the fact that often these men were looking back over their whole lives and revisiting their youths and very often their lost chums.
June 2, 2022
Hart's history is suitably sparse, placing the true star of the show, the veterans' stories, at the fore.
February 11, 2016
An extensive collection of memories from British WWI veterans as recorded by the IWM. I felt that there was a missed opportunity to provide greater analysis of the interviewees, the after effects of war, and the practice of memory, especially since Hart carried out several of the interviews himself; this improved in the latter half of the book when the focus shifted from the broad narrative of the BEF's campaigns to the everyday life of soldiers.
December 30, 2015
A well documented book of the horrors experienced by soldiers, some very young, in the trenches during the first world war.
Their recollections of hardship, filth and other first hand accounts are sometimes hard to read.
Will we ever learn from this? I doubt it.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Oxford University Press via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
Their recollections of hardship, filth and other first hand accounts are sometimes hard to read.
Will we ever learn from this? I doubt it.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Oxford University Press via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
April 12, 2016
I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. this book was compiled from the oral archives kept at the IWM in London. In my opinion this is one of the best books that I have read about The First World. because the most accurate history books are those written from personal experiences. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in history
February 27, 2019
Another great entry in to the annuls of WW 1 history. Peter Hart's interviews with veterans has paid of once again and taken the reader to the front lines with the men who served. I very much enjoyed the end of the book and the focus on life after the war as it is often overlooked. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in WW 1 history.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews