World War I

[close] We are currently part way through the Centenary of WW1 and during the remaining year of this anniversary, I want to read as much as possible about this period. From fiction, poems, non-fiction, plays and even graphic novels - there are so many angles and perceptions from which to read about this brutal yet important period of history. I find myself increasingly fascinated by history. Is it because as our elder generations move on, we become unconsciously worried that the next generation will never learn about the stories and the events that were important to their ancestors? Perhaps. I'm proposing to start reading a relevant book a month from September 2017 and in the meantime, I will start to compile reading ideas and seek to gain members who'd like to commemorate the Great War in this way. A list of potential titles to read: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/100793.WW1_Centenary_Potential_Reading_List

[close] A place to discuss the cultural milieu of the Great War (also referred to as the First World War, World War I, WWI, World War One). The intent of this group is to discuss the cultural significance, legacy, arts, relating to Great War. This could include cultural studies (i.e. Fussell) or fiction during the war era (i.e. Willa Cather) or fiction set during the war written later (i.e. Jacqueline Winspear, Anne Perry).

[close] Reading our way through the various novels, adaptions and non-fiction books about World War One. Reading from 2014-2018. Novels: 1. All Quiet on the Western Front — Erich Maria Remarque (German) 1929. 2. Birdsong — Sebastain Faulks (English) 1993. 3. Regeneration Trilogy — Pat Barker (English) 1991; 1993; 1995. 4. Parade’s End — Ford Maddox Ford (English) 1924-28. 5. The Wars — Timothy Findley (Canadian) 1977. 6. A Farewell to Arms — Ernest Hemmingway (American) 1929. 7.1915: The Death of Innocence — Lyn MacDonald (Australian) 1993. 8. The Absolutist — John Boyne (Irish) 2011. 9. August 1914 — Solzhenitsyn (Russian) 1970. 10. Good-bye to All That - Robert Graves (English) 1929. 11. The General — C.S. Forester (English) 1936. 12. Storm of Steel — Ernest Jünger (German) 1920. 13. The Middle Parts of Fortune: Somme and Ancre, 1916 — Frederic Manning (Australian) 1929. 14. The Good Soldier Svejk — Jaroslav Hasek (Austria) 1923. 15. Radetzky March — Joseph Roth (Austrian-Jewish) 1932. 16. Iron Gustav — Hans Fallada (German) 1938. 17. Fall of Giants — Ken Follett (English) 2010. 18. Covenant with Death — John Harris (English) 1961.

[close] World War One serves as a boundary between the age of royalty and that of modernity. 2014 is the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of hostilities in the Great War. Join us as we explore the history of this epic event by reading the greatest books on the topic.