UK Book Club discussion

It has been suggested that as it is the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1, we should have a thread to discuss any related reading......so here it is. No particular time limits and feel free to bring in the plethora of TV documentaries that are on at the mo', or even family stories about relatives who were involved.

To start us off, I'm currently reading , the mostly about WW1 memoir of the poet and author Robert Graves.

This is shamelessly self-promoting I know and will probably be modded, but my book Forebears deals quite harrowingly with WW1

That's OK John as in a totally appropriate thread.

Thanks Ian. I didn't want to appear to be spamming. Actually my book deals more with the fallout from the war in the years following, especially from a woman's point of view, than the war itself. And also with the effects of 'shell shock', and with martial punishment.

It's going to be quite a year for books and TV about the Great War, I suspect. We've already had Jeremy Paxman's interesting take on it.

There's also a 10 part doc starting soon and 2 docs with opposing views in the was it all worth it debate........Max Hastings in his usual establishment corner and perhaps more interesting author Niall Ferguson in the other.

Yes, I see those two are facing up to each other in this week's Radio Times. Avoiding the obvious recommendation of Birdsong, may I suggest John Boyne's The Absolutist? Boyne got a bit of flack (as it were) for some inaccuracy of detail, but it's quite a humane dealing with conscientious objectors and gays.

I thought The Absolutist was an excellent book, but even better, in my opinion, was A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry

Both really good books, I agree.

I read these 3 last year and loved them , and .

Ian wrote: "I loved , or ."

Toby's Room was very good, as was this author's The Regeneration Trilogy: Regeneration; The Eye in the Door; The Ghost Road....

Another worth reading is Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain.....

Ah yes, Testament of Youth. That takes me back more years than I care to count . . .

Another one: The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally; an interesting angle about Australian nurses

Bit off topic -I went to 'Oh what a lovely war' at Stratford Theatre last night. Vaguely remember the film but the audience enjoyed the performance very much! Interesting as it had quite an anti article in the Sunday Times but praise from others. The soldiers won the day in their portrayal, humour and humanity. I saw 'Journey's End' some years ago and it is the only time I have been in an audience who left in total silence with no applause or curtain calls. Both moving in their own way.

If you would like an excellent non-fiction book, you might like to try The Guns of August. Or one of the aftermath of WWI, Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World.

I have recently listened to 'Private Peaceful' by Michael Morpurgo having listened to War Horse last year. And really enjoyed both.

A few years ago I went to the National Theatre and heard Michael Morpurgo reading Private Peaceful. He had 2 members of Bellowhead providing the music. It was around 11 November and a lot of schoolchildren were there. You could have heard a pin drop. Very moving.

Just bought - the new one by Helen Dunmore - kindle is only £1.69 at the mo'.

Be interested to hear what you think of it, Ian.

I'm reading Life After Life right now, which is quite concerned with WWI in its first third. Atkinson's portrayal of how it touched nearly everyone (and if not the war, then the influenza epidemic after) is rather acutely depressing.

Very good book I thought, Robyn. Certainly an interesting structure, if perhaps a little repetitive.

For the German perspective, 'All Quiet on the Western Front' is excellent.

got signed copy of this for Christmas. May read next.
picked up at charity shop for my mum today

Bought
70p charity shop bought for my mum. But just seen stars from friends on here who opinion respect so think she will have to wait!!

Have signed copy from Christmas to read

Finished , This was written by a woman on active service in France in WW1, which is amazing in itself. Although I had trouble having a lot of sympathy for William at times I did enjoy the book which gave a different perspective.

Liz wrote: "For the German perspective, 'All Quiet on the Western Front' is excellent."

Anyone know of any other novels told from German perspective or any set on the Eastern Front, Russian or German?

There is Ernst Jünger account of the Great War: Storm of Steel, Ian. Have heard about it, never read it though.

Liked All Quiet on the Western Front and hope to reread it later this year. I have Drawing Fire: The Diary Of A Great War Soldier And Artist on my shelf still unread and came across The First Casualty which could be an interesting read as well. And I still need to listen to My Dear I Wanted to Tell You.

Oh, we are allowed to tell family stories as well.

Well my grandmother Philomena, her sister Bertha and their mother Johanna were among the Belgians who fled to England during the Great War. Their father and husband stayed behind to fight. The women ended up in Cornwall. As both Philomena and Bertha spoke English, they were able to work. It's due to her work for a shipping agency that Philomena came to know her man to be James; they married in 1920 in Scarborough and moved to Belgium. They had two children, my uncle Nicholas and my mother Marion.

My other grandfather was only 15 or so when he went to fight in the Great War.

Lots of Dutch speaking soldiers just died as they were unable to understand the commands of their superiors, who only spoke French. The only official language of Belgium was French then. Mind you, French was spoken by a minority then and was considered to be the language of the educated. Only peasants and the uneducated, the majority, spoke Flemish. Or Wallon, on the South-Belgian side.

Any way, due to the Great War King Albert I promised the Flemish that Dutch would become an official language as well. In 1929 Dutch finally became an official language in Belgium.

Fascinating, Danielle. Thank you.

Thank you for sharing Danielle - even more didn't know!

Read Storm of Steel, very good and I think he died at the age of 95.
There's also which is about the experiences of French soldiers in WWI.
As for family I've seen my great grandfather's records on line, he was shot in the forearm at the Somme and again in the right shoulder at La Basse. After the war he applied for a pension because he couldn't go straight back to work. He was a coalminer from Warwickshire with 6 children, a seventh was born 6 months after he left to fight.
Another Grt Grandfather also made it home but died years later due to complications from being mustard gassed.
I've been looking at my family tree for a while now and love the old photos, some of them of young men who went off to fight.

It makes it more real to hear family stories.

Liz wrote: "For the German perspective, 'All Quiet on the Western Front' is excellent."

Strongly endorse that. Timeless, wonderful book. It's a pity some of his other stuff has been neglected - also good, and available in English.

I'd definitely like to read some of these suggestions. Meanwhile, here are mine: The Bells Of Hell Go Ting A Ling A Ling: An Autobiographical Fragment Without Maps - written, in quite modern language, in the 1970s, when he was old. Not perfect but very revealing. For a more old-fashioned take, Undertones of War - distinguished poet who had quite a war. And last but not least, Sagittarius Rising- a most unusual man, and a great read.

Just bought the kindles of for just 99p and even more of a bargain for just 61p the classic 4 novel series by Ford Madox Ford that includes .

Ian wrote: "Just bought the kindles of for just 99p and even more of a bargain for just 61p the classic 4 novel series by Ford Madox Ford that includes [bookcover:Parade's En..."

You're not joking, smashing value; duly sent to my Kindle too. The Ford Madox Ford is wonderful - I read it 30 years ago but would like to again.

Don't know if any of you know this film: http://www.sonyclassics.com/joyeuxnoel/

The site is in English.

Discovered yesterday that my maternal grandfather was gassed in WW1 and like Deanne's great grandad died from complications 10 years later. Asked my Dad yesterday about any relations who served and tho' first response was that there were none, I pressed him & also found out that his father volunteered at 16 but was hauled out of the recruiting place by my gt.grandfather. All my Dad's uncles worked in the shipyards on the Mersey, so they were building warships which was reserved work.

read these so far this year

Fascinating, Ian

It's curious what family history there is but untapped. My paternal grandad served and I have some copy posed photos of him in uniform as seemed to the norm before they went but as he died in early 70's know very little about him plus they were a generation that didn't discuss their experiences. I have just started set in 1920 as the unknown soldier is dug from the trenches about the lives of 5 women who have been affected by the war.

(Re. Andrew's comment). At the risk of sounding self-promoting, my book Forebears is a bit similar to Wake, in that it deals with the fallout of WW1 as experienced by women.

Ian wrote: "Just bought the kindles of for just 99p and even more of a bargain for just 61p the classic 4 novel series by Ford Madox Ford that includes [bookcover:Parade's En..."

OK, have just finished reading Her Privates We and am very glad I did; thanks for this tip, Ian. It takes a while to get into; a bit too much philosophy earlier on, and the language is quite old fashioned (fortunately so am I). But a wonderfully fresh view of what soldiering was like on the Western Front, and also a shrewd look at the class system. Quite a well-known book when it was published I believe, but not much read now. I'll post a proper review at the weekend.

Just started which 100 pages in i am not entirely certain which way it is going so interesting.

My grandfather was under age when he went off to war - twice they sent him home but the third time he managed to stay undetected. He was wounded in the leg which gave him 'jip' later in life. He never really spoke of the war, only WW2 when my uncle went to fight and he worked the land and bred rabbits for the pot.

Andrew wrote: "Just started which 100 pages in i am not entirely certain which way it is going so interesting."

I thought this was an unusual look at WW1, Andrew....I very much enjoyed it, and have gone on to read several of his books.

I've just finished which was more a novella than novel but nevertheless worth a look at as written in 1918 and has a very strong message about class which is interesting when you read about her background and that she was HG Wells's lover for 10+ years and had a child with him. The book is about the return of the master of the estate Chris Baldry after shell shock injury in 1916 and his loss of memory. He doesn't remember his wife Kitty and desperately wants to find the woman he had fallen in love with 10 years before, Margaret. The description of Margaret by the narrator (his cousin) are so uncomfortable in terms of snobbery that I had to check the biography of West to understand that this was her commentary on the appalling nature of British upper society. The prose is excellent with wonderful descriptive excerpts that I had to reread and the ending was touching but it did feel a bit dated however I enjoyed it as a read but also as a piece of literary history itself telling a lot about women, society and class in 1918 rather than much about the war.

Fly Away Peter was a rather strange book about two Australian men who enlist. The first third is mainly taken up with bird watching. However the scenes of the conflict are thought provoking and chilling. Off topic (again) I went to the First World War exhibition (free) at the National Portrait Gallery. Only 1 Australian there. Old politicians, generals and royalty and lots of young men. Very interesting.

I don't think I'll be contributing to this challenge much as it's not really my cup of tea but I am currently reading Agatha Christie's autobiography where I have just reached the first world war years. She covers her time as a nurse and working in the dispensary. It's interesting to see how these experiences and the knowledge gained from her apothecary exams and training influenced her writing. It's fascinating stuff.

Andrew wrote: "I've just finishedwhich was more a novella than novel but nevertheless worth a look at as written in 1918 and has a very strong message about class whic..."

I found this book free at The Guttenberg Project....

Andrew wrote: "I've just finishedwhich was more a novella than novel but nevertheless worth a look at as written in 1918 and has a very strong message about class whic..."

I am reading this now on your recommendation, and am grateful to you for that; it's excellent. The class undercurrents of the Great War do indeed come out very well indeed.

They do in this, as well - Her Privates We - another book that had some impact then but is now forgotten, and which I'd not have found if not for a thread like this.