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Lest We Forget: Forgotten Voices from 1914-1945
This skilfully compiled anthology draws on the phenomenally successful Forgotten Voices series. Lest We Forget brings together first-hand recollections from the Great War to World War II, to vividly illustrate the impact of war. Told in the actual words of the men, women, and children who lived through a century of war it is a moving insight into the greatest conflicts of the 20th century. The testaments of those who were there depict the horrors of war, yet also provide inspiration with tales of enduring courage, sacrifice, and daring. Arranged thematically into chapters such as hope, fear, the kindness of strangers, the human cost, and brothers in arms, it reveals the full scope of war in all its stark reality. Evocatively illustrated throughout with line drawings from the Imperial War Museum's archives, it will appeal to anyone wanting to gain an insight into not only specific conflicts, but the overarching and sometimes surprising effects of war in general. Lest We Forget vividly ensures that the wartime experiences of ordinary people will never be forgotten.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 2002
62 people are currently reading
1891 people want to read
About the author
Max Arthur
85 books41 followersMax Arthur is an author who specialises in first-hand recollections of historical events. He has worked closely with the Imperial War Museum to bring together two books in the Forgotten Voices series, Forgotten Voices of the Great War and Forgotten Voices of the Second World War. Prior to becoming a writer, he served with the Royal Air Force and for some years was an actor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
March 12, 2021
The horrors of the First World War are described in the words of those who experienced it.
It is a compelling book which depicts the terrible conditions experienced by soldiers in trench warfare,some major battles,the staggering number of casualties,the use of gas and even the shooting of soldiers for desertion by their own comrades.
These are raw accounts of the brutality of war which don't attempt to glamorize it.The only problem is that the narrative shifts from soldier to soldier every few pages.They were all fighting on different fronts and that makes it a bit disjointed.
It is a compelling book which depicts the terrible conditions experienced by soldiers in trench warfare,some major battles,the staggering number of casualties,the use of gas and even the shooting of soldiers for desertion by their own comrades.
These are raw accounts of the brutality of war which don't attempt to glamorize it.The only problem is that the narrative shifts from soldier to soldier every few pages.They were all fighting on different fronts and that makes it a bit disjointed.
February 8, 2019
So it seems that the Imperial War Museum cleverly started compiling a sound archive of the survivors of the Great War, resulting in a wealth of stories of people involved in the war in one way or another. This archive includes the voices of belligerents from all sides, nurses, farm workers, and others. Max Arthur mined this treasure trove to compile an account of the war as told by a representative cross-section of people affected by this vast and prolonged conflict.
The book is nicely structured, starting in 1914 and ending with the Armistice, all in chronological order. If you're a Canadian and want to read about Vimy Ridge, you will go to the section on early 1917, Aussies can read about Gallipoli in an earlier chapter covering 1915. if you're American, you will have to wait until late in the book to read accounts by your countrymen. Most excerpts are a page or less in length, and some sources are used more than once. In the pages you will meet amputees, soldiers who had to participate in firing squads to execute their mates, deserters, and soldiers home on leave who were given white feathers by bitches on buses. All contributors are named, so you just might read the words of an ancestor in here.
I don't know if the source material was sanitized, but there is a total absence of the type of startling rough language commonly associated with soldiery, and proper English seems to be used throughout, even when the contributor was a German soldier or a poilu. From that, I think I'm safe in making the assumption that these stories have been polished up a bit. Even so, it's an excellent account of the Great War as seen by the common man and woman who were directly affected.
The book is nicely structured, starting in 1914 and ending with the Armistice, all in chronological order. If you're a Canadian and want to read about Vimy Ridge, you will go to the section on early 1917, Aussies can read about Gallipoli in an earlier chapter covering 1915. if you're American, you will have to wait until late in the book to read accounts by your countrymen. Most excerpts are a page or less in length, and some sources are used more than once. In the pages you will meet amputees, soldiers who had to participate in firing squads to execute their mates, deserters, and soldiers home on leave who were given white feathers by bitches on buses. All contributors are named, so you just might read the words of an ancestor in here.
I don't know if the source material was sanitized, but there is a total absence of the type of startling rough language commonly associated with soldiery, and proper English seems to be used throughout, even when the contributor was a German soldier or a poilu. From that, I think I'm safe in making the assumption that these stories have been polished up a bit. Even so, it's an excellent account of the Great War as seen by the common man and woman who were directly affected.
January 16, 2023
Perhaps Forgotten Voices of the Great War deserves four stars. It is an engaging read covering the war by year and in some cases by the major actions of the war. At the same time I struggled with the lack of historical continuity. Each year of the war was introduced with a very short two or three page overview of the major actions and events. At times the text would introduce a major battle or period of time with a header. The editors make note of this as a conscious choice when compiling the personal histories. I would have preferred a bit more narration and introduction to the various contributions to 'set the scene.'
All aspects of the war are included, from the Home Front to the front lines. The insights are fascinating. As an example, some of the humiliation young men not in uniform would face in Britain by the young women. Never stopping to find out an individual's situation young women would hand these young men white feathers representing cowardice. Some of these men were medically unable to serve, others were vets who had been medically discharged due to wounds sustained in battle.
Overall a good read - 3.5 stars
All aspects of the war are included, from the Home Front to the front lines. The insights are fascinating. As an example, some of the humiliation young men not in uniform would face in Britain by the young women. Never stopping to find out an individual's situation young women would hand these young men white feathers representing cowardice. Some of these men were medically unable to serve, others were vets who had been medically discharged due to wounds sustained in battle.
Overall a good read - 3.5 stars
August 12, 2017
(I listened to the audio version, which is "based on the book", although I'm not sure how different the two are.)
This was great, comprised almost entirely of interviews with former servicemen recorded by the Imperial War Museum: mostly British, but with some Germans, French, Americans and a lone Aussie. These are not the transcripts read by a professional narrator - they are the actual interviews, (with some very strong and rich regional accents!) which makes this especially powerful. It also gives this the feel more of a BBC Radio 4 documentary than a book.
With only the bare skeleton of a narrative, this won't tell you what happened, when, where or why. Instead, it will give you a real insight into what it actually felt like to live in the trenches, to cower as artillery exploded, to go "over the top", to survive as the next man was killed. Includes some surprisingly candid interviews about fear, cowardice, and the prized "Blighty Wound".
This was great, comprised almost entirely of interviews with former servicemen recorded by the Imperial War Museum: mostly British, but with some Germans, French, Americans and a lone Aussie. These are not the transcripts read by a professional narrator - they are the actual interviews, (with some very strong and rich regional accents!) which makes this especially powerful. It also gives this the feel more of a BBC Radio 4 documentary than a book.
With only the bare skeleton of a narrative, this won't tell you what happened, when, where or why. Instead, it will give you a real insight into what it actually felt like to live in the trenches, to cower as artillery exploded, to go "over the top", to survive as the next man was killed. Includes some surprisingly candid interviews about fear, cowardice, and the prized "Blighty Wound".
January 28, 2013
Max Arthur’s book; Forgotten Voices of the Great War, is quite unique in that it's content is nearly all first-hand accounts from people who experienced the horror of the Great War. The author has utilized a number of tape recorded interviews conducted by the Imperial War Museum in 1972. Many of the tapes from the Imperial War Museum Sound Archive had been forgotten and left unheard for years.
Now Max Arthur has put together many of these unheard voices from the Great War to produce this spellbinding and captivating book. I must admit that I was reluctant to buy this book as I was worried that a book full of short accounts would be too disjointed and really not detailed enough to satisfy my interest. I can honestly say that I truly enjoyed reading this book.
Each chapter of the book was a year of the Great War and was commenced by an introduction by the author offering a brief run down on the major events of that year. Then we heard from the men and women who participated in these events, from both sides of no-man’s land. The author has concentrated mainly on the Western Front and Gallipoli and has tried to run the oral segments in chronological order.
I was really taken by these segments and I found it hard to stop reading. The accounts from these soldiers and civilians alike were at times humorous, strikingly direct, horrifying and on many occasions quite sad. I was really taken in by these accounts and I don’t think that any World War One library would be complete without this title sitting on the shelf. I can honestly say that I learnt quite a few things from this book and I would place it along side such works offered by Lyn MacDonald.
Well done to the author and the Imperial War Museum for allowing these veterans, many now long dead, the last word on their experiences in the Great War. This is a great book, you won’t be disappointed.
Now Max Arthur has put together many of these unheard voices from the Great War to produce this spellbinding and captivating book. I must admit that I was reluctant to buy this book as I was worried that a book full of short accounts would be too disjointed and really not detailed enough to satisfy my interest. I can honestly say that I truly enjoyed reading this book.
Each chapter of the book was a year of the Great War and was commenced by an introduction by the author offering a brief run down on the major events of that year. Then we heard from the men and women who participated in these events, from both sides of no-man’s land. The author has concentrated mainly on the Western Front and Gallipoli and has tried to run the oral segments in chronological order.
I was really taken by these segments and I found it hard to stop reading. The accounts from these soldiers and civilians alike were at times humorous, strikingly direct, horrifying and on many occasions quite sad. I was really taken in by these accounts and I don’t think that any World War One library would be complete without this title sitting on the shelf. I can honestly say that I learnt quite a few things from this book and I would place it along side such works offered by Lyn MacDonald.
Well done to the author and the Imperial War Museum for allowing these veterans, many now long dead, the last word on their experiences in the Great War. This is a great book, you won’t be disappointed.
October 2, 2017
This was probably 3 1/2. I downgraded it because I kept finding myself wondering how much longer was this book. I did get a little sad when it got October 1918, since my uncle did not survive that month.
Voices included British, Australian, Canadian, German and even some Americans.
My favorite comment by far was when two officers were waiting for the Armistice to be effective at 11:00 am. And they wondered, after four years of war, what would they do now?
Voices included British, Australian, Canadian, German and even some Americans.
My favorite comment by far was when two officers were waiting for the Armistice to be effective at 11:00 am. And they wondered, after four years of war, what would they do now?
March 22, 2018
A book that really sticks with you, even if you don’t necessarily know the details of each of the battles mentioned. Easy to pick up and put down but still a great flow to the book.
November 14, 2015
Mind-boggling first person stories of those who directly experienced the First World War. From those who were shamed into enlisting, despite only being 15-17 years old, by girls who roamed British streets with feathers they shoved into the faces of young men, to stories by soldiers handcuffed to wagon wheels for days because they missed roll call. Descriptions by those who experienced the waves of chlorine and mustard gas, with advice to urinate on their handkerchiefs or caps and hold them over their mouths in order to save their lungs.
Soldiers riddled with dysentery and drowning in their own excrement. Soldiers home for brief leaves from the Front to families who saw the war as one big brave cavalry charge, as opposed to the reality of exhausted men huddled in muddy, lice-infested trenches waiting for bombs to drop on them. Conscientious objectors sentenced to be shot, then commuted to 10 years in prison. Scared deserters who ran off to avoid conflict, only to be court-martialed and then shot to death by their peers. Combatants pending days and nights crouched in a concrete pillbox filled with two feet of muddy, filthy water, filled with excrement and the rotting bodies of enemy soldiers.
WW1 jolted the globe in dramatic ways, such that before and after inalterably changed mankind. Traditional methods of warfare were utilized at the beginning, but by the war’s end, “fair play” of military engagement was redefined in so many ways through airplanes, tanks and chemical warfare.
That 100 years have passed only serves to underscore the significance of this event and its impact on our modern world. This book provides a visceral reality check of this seminal event in our history. It also gives reverence and a voice to the unquestionably courageous, inspirational men and women who persevered through his period in history, capturing their own unfiltered words and experiences for posterity.
Highly recommend this.
Soldiers riddled with dysentery and drowning in their own excrement. Soldiers home for brief leaves from the Front to families who saw the war as one big brave cavalry charge, as opposed to the reality of exhausted men huddled in muddy, lice-infested trenches waiting for bombs to drop on them. Conscientious objectors sentenced to be shot, then commuted to 10 years in prison. Scared deserters who ran off to avoid conflict, only to be court-martialed and then shot to death by their peers. Combatants pending days and nights crouched in a concrete pillbox filled with two feet of muddy, filthy water, filled with excrement and the rotting bodies of enemy soldiers.
WW1 jolted the globe in dramatic ways, such that before and after inalterably changed mankind. Traditional methods of warfare were utilized at the beginning, but by the war’s end, “fair play” of military engagement was redefined in so many ways through airplanes, tanks and chemical warfare.
That 100 years have passed only serves to underscore the significance of this event and its impact on our modern world. This book provides a visceral reality check of this seminal event in our history. It also gives reverence and a voice to the unquestionably courageous, inspirational men and women who persevered through his period in history, capturing their own unfiltered words and experiences for posterity.
Highly recommend this.
September 2, 2021
I read Forgotten Voices of the Great War hot on the heals of the Desert Victory entry into this series (which covers the North African theatre of World War II) so I knew roughly what to expect. I gave that book a 4 star rating - marvelling at the amazing feat of editing it represented (see below) but felt that the book could have helped guide the reader through the nuances of the relatively obscure desert war history better with improved signposting and maps.
This book, brought together by Max Arthur, is an equally masterful feat of editing: the basic approach for both books (and I imagine all of the other nine books I can find in the series) is to take the many hours of audio, recorded by London's Imperial War Museum, of veterans and civilians of the various conflicts and to splice these myriad accounts of different facets of the war into one coherent account.
Entries range from a few lines to a couple of pages at most from each individual. We hear from a private at Paschendale, a civilian at the home front, an Australian at Gallipoli. Certain individuals, like Philip Neame and Richard Tobin appear throughout the book in multiple entries, the editors having broken up their accounts chronologically, so that they emerge in different places and in different roles (the book tracks their rank so a corporal becomes a sergeant and so on).
The entries themselves can be anything from a fairly simple description of life behind the trenches (the food, or soldiers' thoughts about going on leave - which are by no means all positive) to the sort of deeply upsetting details you would associate with World War I, such as unbelievable feats of VC-winning bravery. But one of the book's great strengths is how it doesn't only describe the incredible or downright dreadful, but paints a picture of the monotony of trench warfare and of how life actually carried on, even at the front. Above all else, the reader gets a sense of how the appalling to us became routine for those who were there. For me, this is a valuable counterweight to the World War I poetry that can at times somewhat over maudlin-ise the war (to coin a phrase); what struck me throughout this work was how soldiers could process the carnage and slaughter they witnessed around them and still do their job, and somehow still seem human in amongst it all.
Of course, there is horror and pathos aplenty here too and it is as "immensely moving" as any poetry, for me at least because the events described are often stated so un-eloquently and so plainly. Some of the most poignant moments were the retreats or the loss of ground that led soldiers to confront starkly the blood spilt for what was only a few meters gained, now so readily lost. Ordinary Seaman Joe Murray epitomises this, as he describes his retreat during the last days of the failed campaign at Gallipoli:
"I thought to myself ... 'now we're stealing away from Gallipoli'. I remember when I came towards Backhouse Post, I thought to myself 'Oh dear me! Poor old Yates and Parsons, all killed and buried here.' When we first went to Backhouse Post I remember how happy and anxious we were to get stuck into the Turks. And now here we were, only a handful left. As we got further from the line near Backhouse Post, I remembered the advance we had on May the 6th, when more of my pals died, such as Petty Officer Warren and Young Yates. I could still hear young Horton crying for his mother as he died ... The tears were streaming down my cheeks, I just couldn't restrain them. My eyes were smarting so much I think I walked the rest of the way with my eyes closed."
Similar sentiments are shared when the allies are pushed back to the 1916 Somme battlefields during the German's last big push in 1918 (after they are reinforced with troops formerly engaged on the Eastern front) - an event I only learnt about thanks to this book - so you will certainly come away better informed about the broad strokes of World War I as well as how life went on there.
Appropriately for the portrayal of the more normal aspects of life in the war, there are moments of real humour too. A great example is given by Mary Hillyer on the Home Front. She went to find work at a nearby college:
"I remember looking on the board one morning and for my first job, I saw, 'Will Miss Hillyer please take the sow to the boar.' I overheard one of the girls say, 'Oh well, she hasn't got far to go.' So I harness the sow with a halter and marched her down the road, then popped her into a stable at the Boar Hotel. And I thought I'd done my job rather well, but when I came back, of course, there was an alrighty row."
I knocked a star off Desert Victory for the difficulty it posed to the reader in following the events of that war. Perhaps because of better introductions to each chapter, or the far greater familiarity I have with World War I, this wasn't at issue here. The only true gripe I have with this book is that (to its credit) you get thoroughly invested in the individual stories, but, firstly, it is extremely difficult always to recall whether you have 'heard from' a particular individual before (and what they last said or did); and, secondly, you seldom find out what happened to them (did they survive? did they get military awards? and so on).
It isn't enough to bring this down from a five star as this book is truly a phenomenal work, but it is a pity nonetheless, particularly as these are such easily fixed problems. For the first, simply label entries with a 1/7 style number in brackets (i.e. first entry out of seven - so you know how far through a particular individual's entries you are). This could even be followed by page references to the remaining entries so you can go back and forth (and read just one person's series of entries if you so wish). For the second issue (as I said in my Desert Victory review) a synopsis of what happened to the individual after their last entry would be a wonderful way of honouring them as it would round off their particular story.
With this one reservation, I can unreservedly recommend this book. You will read about the mundane and the miraculous and everything in-between. It is, truly, a wonderful testimony to the very human individuals who took part in an utterly inhuman conflict. This is no better shown than by the frank and honest words of Lieutenant Charles Carrington of the 1/5th Battalion, Warwickshire regiment.
"After eighteen months in France I was still trying to present to be brave and not succeeding very well, and so were we all. All the time one was saying to oneself, 'If they can take it - I can take it!', the awful thing being that this was not an isolated experience but one which went on continuously, minute after minute and even hour after hour"
This book, brought together by Max Arthur, is an equally masterful feat of editing: the basic approach for both books (and I imagine all of the other nine books I can find in the series) is to take the many hours of audio, recorded by London's Imperial War Museum, of veterans and civilians of the various conflicts and to splice these myriad accounts of different facets of the war into one coherent account.
Entries range from a few lines to a couple of pages at most from each individual. We hear from a private at Paschendale, a civilian at the home front, an Australian at Gallipoli. Certain individuals, like Philip Neame and Richard Tobin appear throughout the book in multiple entries, the editors having broken up their accounts chronologically, so that they emerge in different places and in different roles (the book tracks their rank so a corporal becomes a sergeant and so on).
The entries themselves can be anything from a fairly simple description of life behind the trenches (the food, or soldiers' thoughts about going on leave - which are by no means all positive) to the sort of deeply upsetting details you would associate with World War I, such as unbelievable feats of VC-winning bravery. But one of the book's great strengths is how it doesn't only describe the incredible or downright dreadful, but paints a picture of the monotony of trench warfare and of how life actually carried on, even at the front. Above all else, the reader gets a sense of how the appalling to us became routine for those who were there. For me, this is a valuable counterweight to the World War I poetry that can at times somewhat over maudlin-ise the war (to coin a phrase); what struck me throughout this work was how soldiers could process the carnage and slaughter they witnessed around them and still do their job, and somehow still seem human in amongst it all.
Of course, there is horror and pathos aplenty here too and it is as "immensely moving" as any poetry, for me at least because the events described are often stated so un-eloquently and so plainly. Some of the most poignant moments were the retreats or the loss of ground that led soldiers to confront starkly the blood spilt for what was only a few meters gained, now so readily lost. Ordinary Seaman Joe Murray epitomises this, as he describes his retreat during the last days of the failed campaign at Gallipoli:
"I thought to myself ... 'now we're stealing away from Gallipoli'. I remember when I came towards Backhouse Post, I thought to myself 'Oh dear me! Poor old Yates and Parsons, all killed and buried here.' When we first went to Backhouse Post I remember how happy and anxious we were to get stuck into the Turks. And now here we were, only a handful left. As we got further from the line near Backhouse Post, I remembered the advance we had on May the 6th, when more of my pals died, such as Petty Officer Warren and Young Yates. I could still hear young Horton crying for his mother as he died ... The tears were streaming down my cheeks, I just couldn't restrain them. My eyes were smarting so much I think I walked the rest of the way with my eyes closed."
Similar sentiments are shared when the allies are pushed back to the 1916 Somme battlefields during the German's last big push in 1918 (after they are reinforced with troops formerly engaged on the Eastern front) - an event I only learnt about thanks to this book - so you will certainly come away better informed about the broad strokes of World War I as well as how life went on there.
Appropriately for the portrayal of the more normal aspects of life in the war, there are moments of real humour too. A great example is given by Mary Hillyer on the Home Front. She went to find work at a nearby college:
"I remember looking on the board one morning and for my first job, I saw, 'Will Miss Hillyer please take the sow to the boar.' I overheard one of the girls say, 'Oh well, she hasn't got far to go.' So I harness the sow with a halter and marched her down the road, then popped her into a stable at the Boar Hotel. And I thought I'd done my job rather well, but when I came back, of course, there was an alrighty row."
I knocked a star off Desert Victory for the difficulty it posed to the reader in following the events of that war. Perhaps because of better introductions to each chapter, or the far greater familiarity I have with World War I, this wasn't at issue here. The only true gripe I have with this book is that (to its credit) you get thoroughly invested in the individual stories, but, firstly, it is extremely difficult always to recall whether you have 'heard from' a particular individual before (and what they last said or did); and, secondly, you seldom find out what happened to them (did they survive? did they get military awards? and so on).
It isn't enough to bring this down from a five star as this book is truly a phenomenal work, but it is a pity nonetheless, particularly as these are such easily fixed problems. For the first, simply label entries with a 1/7 style number in brackets (i.e. first entry out of seven - so you know how far through a particular individual's entries you are). This could even be followed by page references to the remaining entries so you can go back and forth (and read just one person's series of entries if you so wish). For the second issue (as I said in my Desert Victory review) a synopsis of what happened to the individual after their last entry would be a wonderful way of honouring them as it would round off their particular story.
With this one reservation, I can unreservedly recommend this book. You will read about the mundane and the miraculous and everything in-between. It is, truly, a wonderful testimony to the very human individuals who took part in an utterly inhuman conflict. This is no better shown than by the frank and honest words of Lieutenant Charles Carrington of the 1/5th Battalion, Warwickshire regiment.
"After eighteen months in France I was still trying to present to be brave and not succeeding very well, and so were we all. All the time one was saying to oneself, 'If they can take it - I can take it!', the awful thing being that this was not an isolated experience but one which went on continuously, minute after minute and even hour after hour"
January 29, 2023
Having read many books on the First World War, many fictional, many based on actual events I had some sense of the horrors suffered by the men who took part in “The Great War”. This book is made up of actual accounts as told by men and a few women who were involved. It is not all from the Allied side as there are a few accounts from German participants as well. The accounts are very short in some cases and is not told as a continuous story so in the beginning it is difficult to follow. Overall I found it very moving. The mud, the wet, the lice to mention just a few of the hardships endured were made very real throughout. War is horrific. What stood out most for me was the enthusiasm with which the men started off and the mad rush they had to get to the front. How little they were prepared for the realities and how little the people at home knew of what they were enduring. The feeling the men had of living in two worlds when they came home on leave.
June 10, 2021
Based on audio recordings from 1972 of interviews with World War One veterans plus their loved ones and even some German soldiers. The personal nature really brings home the horror of the war, although the parts about the disconnect that the soldiers felt when they were back home on leave is also moving. Highly recommended and something a bit different if you think that you know all that there is to know about the Great War.
December 17, 2024
“Forgotten Voices of the Great War” to wydane w formie książki transkrypcje nagrań zawierających wspomnienia weteranów I wojny światowej. W zbiorze znajdziemy wypowiedzi głównie anglosaskich żołnierzy i cywilów, są też jednak okazjonalne wstawki francuskich i niemieckich kombatantów. Treść została ułożona chronologicznie. Każdy rozdział to kolejny rok wojny, a za wstęp służy krótki (moim zdaniem zbyt krótki) opis najważniejszych wydarzeń z danego okresu. Mamy zatem z grubsza pojęcie czego dotyczyć będą najbliższe wspomnienia.
To, co w relacjach weteranów wybija się na pierwszy plan to przede wszystkim błoto. Niezależnie od nacji, stopnia czy oddziału kombatanci najbardziej przeklinają wszechobecne, czasami wręcz mordercze, błoto. Oczywiście trup ściele się gęsto, tak ludzki, jak i zwierzęcy. Hekatomba europejskich pól walki zajmuje większośc tego, o czym opowiadają weterani, znalazło się jednak miejsce również dla mniej beznadziejnych epizodów wojny. Przeczytamy o zabawnych sloganach wywieszanych nad okopami, czy słodko-gorzkich gwiazdkowych zawieszeniach broni i wspólnym kolędowaniu obu zwaśnionych stron. W książce zamieszczono też całkiem sporo relacji sanitariuszek i cywilów z tzw. Home Front. Dowiemy się także jak paradoksalnie trudno byo żołnierzom odnaleźć się w cywilnej rzeczywistości podczas przepustek.
“Forgotten Voices of the Great War” to skarbnica wiedzy na temat realiów I wojny światowej (głównie z anglosaskiej perspektywy). Jedyne czego mi zabrakło, to obszerniejsze nakreślenie kontekstu historycznego na początku rozdziałów, gdyż bez uprzedniejszego zorientowania się w najważniejszych wydarzeniach wielkiej wojny nietrudno stracić wątek w czasie lektury. Niemniej jednak książkę polecam, szczególnie osobom zachwyconym “In Memoriam”
To, co w relacjach weteranów wybija się na pierwszy plan to przede wszystkim błoto. Niezależnie od nacji, stopnia czy oddziału kombatanci najbardziej przeklinają wszechobecne, czasami wręcz mordercze, błoto. Oczywiście trup ściele się gęsto, tak ludzki, jak i zwierzęcy. Hekatomba europejskich pól walki zajmuje większośc tego, o czym opowiadają weterani, znalazło się jednak miejsce również dla mniej beznadziejnych epizodów wojny. Przeczytamy o zabawnych sloganach wywieszanych nad okopami, czy słodko-gorzkich gwiazdkowych zawieszeniach broni i wspólnym kolędowaniu obu zwaśnionych stron. W książce zamieszczono też całkiem sporo relacji sanitariuszek i cywilów z tzw. Home Front. Dowiemy się także jak paradoksalnie trudno byo żołnierzom odnaleźć się w cywilnej rzeczywistości podczas przepustek.
“Forgotten Voices of the Great War” to skarbnica wiedzy na temat realiów I wojny światowej (głównie z anglosaskiej perspektywy). Jedyne czego mi zabrakło, to obszerniejsze nakreślenie kontekstu historycznego na początku rozdziałów, gdyż bez uprzedniejszego zorientowania się w najważniejszych wydarzeniach wielkiej wojny nietrudno stracić wątek w czasie lektury. Niemniej jednak książkę polecam, szczególnie osobom zachwyconym “In Memoriam”
February 5, 2019
If you want to know exactly what it was like to be a front line soldier on both sides of the lines in WW1, then this is a must read. It is filled with first hand accounts from the troops who fought and survived (I wouldn't say lived) in the horrific conditions of a war that became a stalemate for almost four years. This book is extremely graphic. It is also very important in understanding why so many came home scarred for life..
It should be required reading for every high school history student.
One of the best first hand accounts of the "Great War."
It should be required reading for every high school history student.
One of the best first hand accounts of the "Great War."
August 21, 2016
It is hard to tell about such a book that I liked what I were reading but it is a jewel. I will treasure this book to the end of my life. All this people who were talking to me through all these pages will be with me forever.
These forgotten voices are so real. I was with them in trenches, in mud. I could feel their fear, courage, sadness, loneliness, hunger, cold.
Most of all I was and I am still mad at all those people who play the wars. I have written "play" because I prefer to think that they (people in power, politicians, generals and so on) see a war like some kind of a play. Otherwise, if they are fully conscious of the whole suffering, of each one dead human and they give still orders to fights, they aren't humans at all.
Going back to the book, if you are interested in this period of history you must read it. You don't have to know much about The Great War (WWI). I would say you can know nothing at all about battles, troop movements and so on. You will not find much of these in this book. This book is about the people who fought and struggle during those times. Their thoughts, feelings, lives. You will find here many facts that will shock and horrify you. There are mostly the voices of the soldiers but there are also a few voices of ordinary people.
After reading it, you can understand more why the world changed so much after WWI. One couldn't be the same after those experiences. And also one couldn't be the same after reading this book.
These forgotten voices are so real. I was with them in trenches, in mud. I could feel their fear, courage, sadness, loneliness, hunger, cold.
Most of all I was and I am still mad at all those people who play the wars. I have written "play" because I prefer to think that they (people in power, politicians, generals and so on) see a war like some kind of a play. Otherwise, if they are fully conscious of the whole suffering, of each one dead human and they give still orders to fights, they aren't humans at all.
Going back to the book, if you are interested in this period of history you must read it. You don't have to know much about The Great War (WWI). I would say you can know nothing at all about battles, troop movements and so on. You will not find much of these in this book. This book is about the people who fought and struggle during those times. Their thoughts, feelings, lives. You will find here many facts that will shock and horrify you. There are mostly the voices of the soldiers but there are also a few voices of ordinary people.
After reading it, you can understand more why the world changed so much after WWI. One couldn't be the same after those experiences. And also one couldn't be the same after reading this book.
June 29, 2016
If you know you are interested in this subject area, I would strongly recommend this book as being readable. I'm ot sure I would necessarily put it top of the list for people wanting an introduction to the subject.
This book is a transcript of interviews done for the Imperial War Museum some 50 years after the end of the First World War. They are the personal, generally anecdotal memories of by then, old men (and a very few women). All of them survived the War, obviously, and into old age, and apart from one chap who had his leg amputated, they seem to have suffered relatively minor physical injuries. There is no mention of the psychological consequences, and on the whole, the contributors were not able, and or not invited, to provide any sort of reflective analysis.
Five chapters one for each of the calendar years, with a brief summary of events at the start of each chapter. A welcome lack of lengthy tactical or logistical details, but I suspect that I was filling in the gaps from other material I have previously read or seen on TV.
I shall read some more in the 'Forgotten Voices' series in due course, but I hesitate to recommend to any other than the 'enthusiast'.
This book is a transcript of interviews done for the Imperial War Museum some 50 years after the end of the First World War. They are the personal, generally anecdotal memories of by then, old men (and a very few women). All of them survived the War, obviously, and into old age, and apart from one chap who had his leg amputated, they seem to have suffered relatively minor physical injuries. There is no mention of the psychological consequences, and on the whole, the contributors were not able, and or not invited, to provide any sort of reflective analysis.
Five chapters one for each of the calendar years, with a brief summary of events at the start of each chapter. A welcome lack of lengthy tactical or logistical details, but I suspect that I was filling in the gaps from other material I have previously read or seen on TV.
I shall read some more in the 'Forgotten Voices' series in due course, but I hesitate to recommend to any other than the 'enthusiast'.
February 5, 2019
Life and death in the trenches
Actual first hand accounts from soldiers on both sides of the front. This book is extremely graphic. I think this book should be mandatory reading in highschool history.
Actual first hand accounts from soldiers on both sides of the front. This book is extremely graphic. I think this book should be mandatory reading in highschool history.
September 17, 2025
Forgotten Voices of the Great War by Max Arthur is an absolute gem of oral history that hits you right in the gut. It’s not your typical war book filled with dates, strategies, and maps it’s a deeply personal collection of firsthand accounts from soldiers, nurses, civilians, and even German soldiers who lived through the horrors of World War I. The book is based on recordings from the Imperial War Museum’s sound archive, so you’re literally hearing the voices of history, which makes it all the more poignant.
The structure of the book is straightforward but effective: it’s organized chronologically, with each chapter representing a year of the war. Arthur gives a brief overview of major events at the start of each section, then lets the voices take over. These accounts are raw, direct, and often heartbreaking, capturing the mud-soaked misery of trench life, the camaraderie among soldiers, and the emotional toll on families back home. You’ll hear stories about lice-infested trenches, gas attacks, and soldiers burying their friends or sometimes not even being able to. It’s unflinching but never gratuitous, and the humanity shines through even in the darkest moments.
What makes this book stand out is its diversity of perspectives. You get insights not just from British soldiers but also from Australians, Canadians, Germans, and civilians. There’s humor in some stories, like soldiers finding absurd ways to stay sane, but there’s also horror like one account of a soldier drowning in mud and feces because no one had the strength to pull him out. The voices reveal the stark contrast between the romanticized idea of war and the brutal reality, and that emotional whiplash is one of the book’s greatest strengths.
Some critiques note that the short, fragmented accounts can make the narrative feel a bit disjointed, especially if you’re looking for a more cohesive story. But honestly, that’s part of the charm it mirrors the chaotic, fragmented experience of war itself. The lack of representation of non-European soldiers, like those from Asia and Africa, is a missed opportunity, though. Their voices would have added even more depth to the book’s already rich tapestry.
Forgotten Voices of the Great War is a haunting, moving, and essential read for anyone who wants to understand the human cost of war. It’s not just history it’s a collection of lives, frozen in time, that remind us why we should never forget. Highly recommend for history buffs or anyone looking to connect with the raw, unfiltered voices of the past.
The structure of the book is straightforward but effective: it’s organized chronologically, with each chapter representing a year of the war. Arthur gives a brief overview of major events at the start of each section, then lets the voices take over. These accounts are raw, direct, and often heartbreaking, capturing the mud-soaked misery of trench life, the camaraderie among soldiers, and the emotional toll on families back home. You’ll hear stories about lice-infested trenches, gas attacks, and soldiers burying their friends or sometimes not even being able to. It’s unflinching but never gratuitous, and the humanity shines through even in the darkest moments.
What makes this book stand out is its diversity of perspectives. You get insights not just from British soldiers but also from Australians, Canadians, Germans, and civilians. There’s humor in some stories, like soldiers finding absurd ways to stay sane, but there’s also horror like one account of a soldier drowning in mud and feces because no one had the strength to pull him out. The voices reveal the stark contrast between the romanticized idea of war and the brutal reality, and that emotional whiplash is one of the book’s greatest strengths.
Some critiques note that the short, fragmented accounts can make the narrative feel a bit disjointed, especially if you’re looking for a more cohesive story. But honestly, that’s part of the charm it mirrors the chaotic, fragmented experience of war itself. The lack of representation of non-European soldiers, like those from Asia and Africa, is a missed opportunity, though. Their voices would have added even more depth to the book’s already rich tapestry.
Forgotten Voices of the Great War is a haunting, moving, and essential read for anyone who wants to understand the human cost of war. It’s not just history it’s a collection of lives, frozen in time, that remind us why we should never forget. Highly recommend for history buffs or anyone looking to connect with the raw, unfiltered voices of the past.
October 22, 2018
I’ll start with the positives. I only cried 6 times while reading this book. It’s tough to believe that ordinary men readily put their lives on the line for their country. The propaganda and social shaming if they didn’t join the army probably helped but it’s incredible nonetheless. All these accounts are in chronological order and it’s quite fascinating to see the shift in the general attitude of soldiers and their families through the four years. This book should be made mandatory reading for anyone who has a tendency to glorify warfare. If they can’t read the whole book, there is a small but heartbreaking account(Page 119) of a soldier who drowned in a pile of shit in the trenches because he couldn’t move anymore and the other soldiers didn’t have enough strength to help him get out.
There was only one bit that bothered me about the book: the last few months of the war only get a brief mention. It’s almost as if the author stopped caring and just wanted to get it over with. The book would have felt more complete if the reactions of the English/French to the armistice were also included.
There was only one bit that bothered me about the book: the last few months of the war only get a brief mention. It’s almost as if the author stopped caring and just wanted to get it over with. The book would have felt more complete if the reactions of the English/French to the armistice were also included.
December 30, 2017
What was it like to live through the First World War? Max Arthur presents the key developments of the war and ties together numerous engaging personal encounters from a time of exceptional challenge. He brings their experience to life as heightened memories are presented each one a witness to a tragedy that would be repeated 21 years later. A very readable book.
December 21, 2021
I absolutely loved this collection of memories of people who lived through the First World War. It was difficult to read, particularly coming to 1917 and Passchendaele, so I read it slowly.
If I had one critique, it is that there were no interviews of the Asian and African soldiers. Some soldiers negatively described Chinese soldiers and porters, so I wondered what it was like to leave your home to fight this war in Europe and be subject to prejudice.
It is one thing to learn about the War through maps and bird’s eye description. It is wholly different to be in the villages and trenches.
Amazing, humbling project.
If I had one critique, it is that there were no interviews of the Asian and African soldiers. Some soldiers negatively described Chinese soldiers and porters, so I wondered what it was like to leave your home to fight this war in Europe and be subject to prejudice.
It is one thing to learn about the War through maps and bird’s eye description. It is wholly different to be in the villages and trenches.
Amazing, humbling project.
October 6, 2021
It was interesting, the way the voices took you from the excitement at the start of the war to the deep depression at the end. Maybe I am just nosey, but some of the excerpts seemed very short and I would liked to have heard more from some of the contributors. Nevertheless, a window into the past.
April 2, 2018
Tremendously moving in parts, and horrifying in others. The closest I think we will get to know what it was really like in those years at home and abroad fighting.
December 27, 2017
Another book that I've found addictive and difficult to put down...hence the speed of transition through the 313 pages in 4 days!
It's layout is easy to read and contribution of each 'voice' varies between a few lines and couple of pages, so it is the sort of book to be picked up for a few minutes..or a few hours if you wish.
The 'voices' speak for themselves, all ranks, officers, nurses, doctors, girlfriends, nationalities, etc. inviting you to read and ingest their first-hand recollections of the period and conflict between countries, as well as the circumstances and encounters of their personal lives amongst it all. There is no 'sugar coating' but equally you will find humour, too.
Little 'triumphalism' either and if so it's rather short-lived. Certainly there is abundant evidence of what life was really like and the human qualities shared by them.
What came through to me in particular was the dogged, daily persistence of the people to 'see things through', good or bad, adapting as they could to conditions alongside their 'chums'..and not assuming that they would come out of it alive in the face of such forces and industrially driven powers of destruction .
Yet clearly, those 'voices' in the book are some of thousands who did survive for me to read and draw insight from, a century later.
A gritty message to me and a very special book!
It's layout is easy to read and contribution of each 'voice' varies between a few lines and couple of pages, so it is the sort of book to be picked up for a few minutes..or a few hours if you wish.
The 'voices' speak for themselves, all ranks, officers, nurses, doctors, girlfriends, nationalities, etc. inviting you to read and ingest their first-hand recollections of the period and conflict between countries, as well as the circumstances and encounters of their personal lives amongst it all. There is no 'sugar coating' but equally you will find humour, too.
Little 'triumphalism' either and if so it's rather short-lived. Certainly there is abundant evidence of what life was really like and the human qualities shared by them.
What came through to me in particular was the dogged, daily persistence of the people to 'see things through', good or bad, adapting as they could to conditions alongside their 'chums'..and not assuming that they would come out of it alive in the face of such forces and industrially driven powers of destruction .
Yet clearly, those 'voices' in the book are some of thousands who did survive for me to read and draw insight from, a century later.
A gritty message to me and a very special book!
April 25, 2018
Unless you are a hard core WWI military history buff or in need of primary sources to add to an academic paper, skip this. I liked the first chapter and the opening paragraphs of each chapter where Max Arthur gives the reader a path to the events in each chapter before turning the narrative to those that survived the war. There are four chapters, one for each year of the war - however that is where the organization of the book ends and chaos reigns. There aren't many headers, just for the ones that indicate a major battle is being talked about, but no signal to show the narratives for that particular battle has ended and a new topic is started. So when the narratives turn from one battle memory to another battle memory then all of a sudden the men are talking about venereal disease and how one guy's penis was all gangrene and disintegrating from VD he got from the many French prostitutes he paid for - it was jarring and interrupting the flow of reading. Then there is lots of talk of how boring it is sitting in a trench, trying to burn the lice off their uniforms; there is also a lot of talk about food rations - so much bully beef was mentioned.
The one part I really enjoyed was the section on the Christmas Truce of 1914. Otherwise it was a slog to get through.
The one part I really enjoyed was the section on the Christmas Truce of 1914. Otherwise it was a slog to get through.
August 28, 2013
As we move inexorably towards the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War, it is all the more important to keep the flame of remembrance alight. This book came out in 2002, compiled in association with the Imperial War Museum, and consists of numerous anecdotes gathered in the 1990s from survivors--principally British, but also German, French, Australian and American.
The value of the book is that it records the tail end of the WW1 generation before they'd all finally died off by the early 2000s. Their anecdotes are powerful and fresh and in most cases represent the most poignant memories of the veterans who recorded them. Time and again, one is struck by the insane bravery of the troops going over the top. They knew, as they assembled in their trenches before an attack, that they would almost certainly be killed, yet did their duty unflinchingly. It was a mad, mad way of conducting a war. The senior officers and politicians still have much to answer for. One is left with a mixture of sadness, outrage, pride and anger. There but for the grace of God goes our generation.
The value of the book is that it records the tail end of the WW1 generation before they'd all finally died off by the early 2000s. Their anecdotes are powerful and fresh and in most cases represent the most poignant memories of the veterans who recorded them. Time and again, one is struck by the insane bravery of the troops going over the top. They knew, as they assembled in their trenches before an attack, that they would almost certainly be killed, yet did their duty unflinchingly. It was a mad, mad way of conducting a war. The senior officers and politicians still have much to answer for. One is left with a mixture of sadness, outrage, pride and anger. There but for the grace of God goes our generation.
March 25, 2017
Wow. This blew me away. I have never read another book so intense with details from any war (not that I've read many!). It was a horrific book to read and I had to put it down for a day or so to get a break. Through the voices of many World War 1 veterans, you travel through the four years of the Great War. There was nothing glamorous about it.
I wished there had been more of a Christian aspect to the book. That is my main complaint. Also, I gave this a slightly lower rating because of a few things:
-Pages 93 (bottom) to 95 (middle) talk quite openly about sexual interaction. Definitely not appropriate to read, and I would avoid these pages if I read again.
-Page 259 (bottom section) also mentions sexuality.
-Several uses of swear words.
-It is a graphic read and many times I had to make myself not think of the details.
Overall it is very informative and fascinating. It made me feel extremely grateful to the men who were willing to fight for their country, despite death and the horrible conditions on the Front.
I wished there had been more of a Christian aspect to the book. That is my main complaint. Also, I gave this a slightly lower rating because of a few things:
-Pages 93 (bottom) to 95 (middle) talk quite openly about sexual interaction. Definitely not appropriate to read, and I would avoid these pages if I read again.
-Page 259 (bottom section) also mentions sexuality.
-Several uses of swear words.
-It is a graphic read and many times I had to make myself not think of the details.
Overall it is very informative and fascinating. It made me feel extremely grateful to the men who were willing to fight for their country, despite death and the horrible conditions on the Front.
May 6, 2017
An excellent history of the first world war, as told exclusively by the people who were there, from all walks of life. Moving, horrific, spellbinding. The biggest surprise for me was how the conscientious objectors were actually viewed by the veterans, with respect and admiration. I guess a more enlightened age than I originally thought.
Want to read
September 24, 201424 SEP 2014 -- recommended by FrankenStan from the WWII Group. Many thanks.
October 19, 2017
A few years ago the BBC uploaded an amazing collection of video interviews of First World War Survivors, from the women left behind to an international collection of armed forces veterans. The sound and images weren’t always perfect but the stories gathered were astounding. A few pages into this book, I realised that was the source for this book!
It was such a clever idea to tell the shocking story of the so-called Great War by compiling those interviews into a narrative, summarising the War Years.
What is special is that they interviewed lots different men and women. When you learn about history from the people who actually lived through it, it really comes alive! The telling is enriched by the discovery of all small insider detail that combine with the thoughts, feelings and impression with historical fact which really give the modern day reader and unique insider perspective. The text is also peppered with photographs of both the contributors and of events at the time.
The story of Christmas 2014 is incredible. Can you imagine being at war with someone, only to stop and become friends for the day. The have to go back to killing each other a few hours later? Random thought: I thought Germans did Christmas on December 24th? Surely the whole country wouldn't have changed the date from December 25th to 24th after a few soldiers fraternising?
And this wasn't the only astounding examples of friendship across the divide either.
But, the further on I read, the more frustrated I get, because I'm not that familiar with WWI. This brief summary of snippets (which are often out of context) was confusing to me. And many sections left me desperately wanting to know either what happened just before or what happened next.
But the biggest disappointment is that this collection is literally a White Wash (no non white soldiers or peoples included here). Were none interviewed for this archive? It wouldn't surprise me if that was the case, but it's a terrible error if it is. Take for instance the brief and unflattering mention of Indian soldiers who had apparently deliberately injured themselves - there's a story to be told right there (were they doing it because they had been forced into the army against their will?). Because there were also many brits who deliberately got themselves a Blighty (injury to get sent home). There was also a fleeting mention of Senegalese soldiers. I'm assuming they were from Senegal. It could only have enriched this book to add some diversity.
I do think I this book could make an interesting foundation for a film.
It was such a clever idea to tell the shocking story of the so-called Great War by compiling those interviews into a narrative, summarising the War Years.
What is special is that they interviewed lots different men and women. When you learn about history from the people who actually lived through it, it really comes alive! The telling is enriched by the discovery of all small insider detail that combine with the thoughts, feelings and impression with historical fact which really give the modern day reader and unique insider perspective. The text is also peppered with photographs of both the contributors and of events at the time.
The story of Christmas 2014 is incredible. Can you imagine being at war with someone, only to stop and become friends for the day. The have to go back to killing each other a few hours later? Random thought: I thought Germans did Christmas on December 24th? Surely the whole country wouldn't have changed the date from December 25th to 24th after a few soldiers fraternising?
And this wasn't the only astounding examples of friendship across the divide either.
But, the further on I read, the more frustrated I get, because I'm not that familiar with WWI. This brief summary of snippets (which are often out of context) was confusing to me. And many sections left me desperately wanting to know either what happened just before or what happened next.
But the biggest disappointment is that this collection is literally a White Wash (no non white soldiers or peoples included here). Were none interviewed for this archive? It wouldn't surprise me if that was the case, but it's a terrible error if it is. Take for instance the brief and unflattering mention of Indian soldiers who had apparently deliberately injured themselves - there's a story to be told right there (were they doing it because they had been forced into the army against their will?). Because there were also many brits who deliberately got themselves a Blighty (injury to get sent home). There was also a fleeting mention of Senegalese soldiers. I'm assuming they were from Senegal. It could only have enriched this book to add some diversity.
I do think I this book could make an interesting foundation for a film.
July 9, 2023
i'll try to avoid going on a complete tangent about the classism prevalent in historical records, but it goes without saying that the working-class people involved in historical events very regularly get passed over in recording our past. i picked up a copy of this on a whim, hoping it would give a better idea of the average person's experiences in wwi, and it definitely delivered. i'm not particularly knowledgable about the ins-and-outs of the era, and this book set everything up in a manner that was easy to follow without being patronizing. the general structure involves the date, an explanation of what occurred, followed by several accounts of the people that experienced it- and i've never felt quite so close to understanding what it must have been like back then. it encapsulates the atmosphere of the trenches, and gives a disgustingly intimate look into the lives of the people experiencing them. it's genuinely difficult to read, seeing the disregard of human life people were expected to have and the ignorance of their own suffering some people were forced into. perhaps it's just my pacifist tendencies seeping in again, but i genuinely had to stop reading at multiple points because it made me so angry and miserable. it's very much not going to suitable for a lot of younger audiences, but it's genuinely harrowing- i think everyone should read it at some point. the pessimistic misery behind every battle that's won, the mourning of what they were having to experience. it can be slow at times and unbearably depressing, but that only adds to the atmosphere of the book and the experiences of the people that had to go through it. you won't have fun with it, and if you do, you should probably seek therapy. would highly recommend.
'To fire at eachother from a distance, to drop bombs, is something impersonal, but to see the whites of a man's eyes and then to run a bayonet into him - that was beyond my comprehension.' - H. Westman, chapter 2, page 75
'To fire at eachother from a distance, to drop bombs, is something impersonal, but to see the whites of a man's eyes and then to run a bayonet into him - that was beyond my comprehension.' - H. Westman, chapter 2, page 75
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