What do you think?
Rate this book
Ceux de 14 #1
Sous Verdun: Août-Octobre 1914 (Classic Reprint)
Excerpt from Sous Verdun
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books.
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works. This text has been digitally restored from a historical edition. Some errors may persist, however we consider it worth publishing due to the work's historical value.
The digital edition of all books may be viewed on our website before purchase.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books.
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works. This text has been digitally restored from a historical edition. Some errors may persist, however we consider it worth publishing due to the work's historical value.
The digital edition of all books may be viewed on our website before purchase.
297 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1916
6 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Maurice Genevoix
134 books13 followersMaurice Genevoix (1890–1980) was a French author.
Born on 29 November 1890 at Decize, Nièvre as Maurice-Charles-Louis-Genevoix, Genevoix spent his childhood in Châteauneuf-sur-Loire. After attending the local school, he studied at the lycée of Orléans and the Lycée Lakanal. Genevoix was accepted to the Ecole Normale Supérieure, being first in his class, but was soon mobilized into World War I in 1914. He was quickly promoted to a lieutenant, but was seriously wounded at the Battle of the Marne in 1914 and returned to Paris. The battle left a profound influence on him, and he wrote the tetrology Ceux de 14 (The Men of 1914), which brought him recognition among the public.
Around 1919, Genevoix contracted Spanish influenza, causing him to move back to the Loire. He was quite prolific during his time in the Loire area, earning a Prix Blumenthal grant from the Florence Blumenthal Foundation to support him as a professional writer. It was this grant that allowed him to continue with some of his most celebrated works, Rémi des Rauches and Raboliot, the latter of which earned him the Prix Goncourt.
In 1928, his father died, and Genevoix moved to Vernelles in Loiret. At around this time, Genevoix started to travel abroad to Canada, Scandinavia, Mexico, and Africa. Canada and Africa were both admired by the writer, the latter of which he dedicated a 1949 essay to it, Afrique blanche, Afrique noire. He was elected to the Académie française on 24 October 1946 and was formally inducted the following year. In 1950, he returned to Paris and became secretary of the Académie française in 1958. In 1970, Genevoix, who was president of the program committee of French state radio, started a television series on French writers. He was also offered the Grand Prix National de Letters. He died on 8 September 1980.
The Académie française literary Prix Maurice Genevoix is named for him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_...
Born on 29 November 1890 at Decize, Nièvre as Maurice-Charles-Louis-Genevoix, Genevoix spent his childhood in Châteauneuf-sur-Loire. After attending the local school, he studied at the lycée of Orléans and the Lycée Lakanal. Genevoix was accepted to the Ecole Normale Supérieure, being first in his class, but was soon mobilized into World War I in 1914. He was quickly promoted to a lieutenant, but was seriously wounded at the Battle of the Marne in 1914 and returned to Paris. The battle left a profound influence on him, and he wrote the tetrology Ceux de 14 (The Men of 1914), which brought him recognition among the public.
Around 1919, Genevoix contracted Spanish influenza, causing him to move back to the Loire. He was quite prolific during his time in the Loire area, earning a Prix Blumenthal grant from the Florence Blumenthal Foundation to support him as a professional writer. It was this grant that allowed him to continue with some of his most celebrated works, Rémi des Rauches and Raboliot, the latter of which earned him the Prix Goncourt.
In 1928, his father died, and Genevoix moved to Vernelles in Loiret. At around this time, Genevoix started to travel abroad to Canada, Scandinavia, Mexico, and Africa. Canada and Africa were both admired by the writer, the latter of which he dedicated a 1949 essay to it, Afrique blanche, Afrique noire. He was elected to the Académie française on 24 October 1946 and was formally inducted the following year. In 1950, he returned to Paris and became secretary of the Académie française in 1958. In 1970, Genevoix, who was president of the program committee of French state radio, started a television series on French writers. He was also offered the Grand Prix National de Letters. He died on 8 September 1980.
The Académie française literary Prix Maurice Genevoix is named for him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 22, 2026
Excellent. A rare WW1 memoir during the brief period before the Western Front settled into the stalemate of the trenches. These guys are actually marching, back and forth, up and down, digging and then moving. Billeting on the ground or in small villages. The action is from late August to early October 1914 in the Meuse Valley near Verdun which of course became the site of the titanic battle by that name starting in February, 1916. The John Mosier book on Verdun I read a few months ago described these early battles and the importance of the Meuse Valley to the French defenses. None of these great strategic questions are asked or answered in this book. It is very much a 'poilus', well a lieutenants, viewpoint. The weather, terrain, food, mud, artillery, small-arms fire, the encounters with the 'Boche'. It was published in 1916 so there are censor omissions here and there. Not perhaps to be compared with Robert Graves or Siegfried Sassoon but those were done much later I believe. It was a bit more like a French 'All Quiet on the Western Front' but that is ostensibly fiction. I believe there may be two follow-ups to this one but not sure if they are translated. Very well written and credible. What those guys went through still amazes!
August 16, 2024
A great French account
January 4, 2014
Tome 1 de "Ceux de 14". Extraordinaire récit sur l'enfer du combat en première ligne. Énorme leçon de courage, de patriotisme, d'abnégation. Bref, un très beau premier tome.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews