Fritz and Tommy: Across the Barbed Wire

by Peter Doyle, Robin Schäfer

A unique look at how British and German soldiers survived either side of No Man's Land and how more brought them together than divided themFritz and Tommy takes a unique look at the experiences of the German soldier, in direct comparison with those of his British counterpart. While other books plot out the battles and examine the participation of the German divisions on the Westfront, there are no books that discuss the shared experience of both sides. The result of a close collaboration between a British and a German military historian, this history examines the commonality of frontline experience. Drawing upon unique archives, Peter Doyle and Robin Schäfer examine the soldiers' lives, and examine cultural and military nuances that have so far been left untouched. Mapping out the lives of the men in the trenches, it concludes that Fritz and Tommy were not that far apart, geographically, physically, or emotionally. The soldiers on both sides went to war with high ideals; they experienced horror and misery, but also comradeship/kameradschaft. And with increasing alienation from the people at home, they drew closer together, the Hun transformed into "good old Gerry" by the war's end.

Genres: World War I, War, History, Germany

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Nick_britten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes a book comes along that seems to be such a simple idea you can't believe that it hasn't been written before, Fritz and Tommy certainly falls into this category. This book tells the story of the First World War through the letters and diaries of the men who fought it. What's new about that you may ask? What sets this book apart is that the stories come from both sides of the trenches.

This isn't a book of grand strategies or international politics, instead it breaks the conflict down into what affected the men everyday in the trenches and behind the lines. Subjects covered include In the Field, Morale and wounds and deaths to name but three and because we hear how these things affected both sides at the same time it gives such a rounded understanding of the events these men endured and suffered.

It is such a moving book because as the same names crop up you start to like them and they endear themselves to you with their simple wants while suffering terrible events and then you see the sentence..."Lt.....was killed the day after writing this" and it brings home the slaughter and death these men faced daily.

It has a stunning selection of photographs throughout the book that bring the stories to life and also make for a beautiful looking book. 100 years after the war this book brings former antagonists together and shows that deep down under all the rhetoric and nationalism the men who fought the war were basically the same scared young men who wanted to make it back home in one piece.

In my opinion an important book!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is perhaps surprising that this hasn't been attempted for, a comparative study of British and German perspectives on the war, using original written material - diaries and letters.

A worthy addition to the steadily increasing English language literature on the German perspectives to the war, lead by Jack Sheldon and Christopher Duffy. Whereas those authors focus solely on the German perspective, here Peter Doyle and Robin Schafer combine the two.

There is perhaps no new narrative to the war here, but there are certainly new witness statements. The takeaway from this book is just how similar the war was experienced from both sides of the wire, certain foibles of language aside, if it was not for the references many would be indistinguishable from national perspectives.

My only niggle is that there is no indication as to what happened to the men quoted, though to be fair the authors note and explain this is due to the difficulty of ascertaining this information from German records, and that out of respect all men have been listed in alphabetical order with no reference to what happened. This certainly aligns with the equitable experiences demonstrated throughout the book, and so is just a personal curiosity.

Well recommended to serious scholars and those with just a passing interest in the experience of ordinary men on the western front

[Bob Colvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hear trending

The narration gives a surprisingly complete yet brief summary of the war. The soldiers come alive through their letters and stories. And to think, all of them have now made the last roll call together.

[Neddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inconsistent. 3.5.