Book Description
This study is based on the extraordinarily rich and varied range of trench journalism that brings to life - in the vivid language of the soldiers themselves - not only their suffering but also their vulgarity, sentimentality and idealism.
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- A Great View of Life in the Trenches
- Different Way of Telling the WWI Story of Waste
- Must Read
- Postales desde el frente
- The Trench War Reviled
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Eye-Deep in Hell: Trench Warfare in World War I
John Ellis
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0801839475 |
Book Description
Millions of men lived in the trenches during World War I. More than six million died there. In Eye-Deep in Hell, the author explores this unique and terrifying world--the rituals of battle, the habits of daily life, and the constant struggle of men to find meaning amid excruciating boredom and the specter of impending death.
Customer Reviews:
A Great View of Life in the Trenches.......2006-05-12
Eye Deep in Hell by John Ellis was a good social history of trench life on the Western Front in World War I. The author's description of social history during the war reminded me of Geoffrey Parker's The Spanish Road. It seemed like a rather dismal existence, hence the title. Ellis divided his book into four parts and subdivided into chapters, each covering a different aspect of trench life.
Part I, "In the Line" was about daily life in the trenches. Ellis wrote about the design of trenches and the concept of defense in depth, which was a basic military history. According to the author, then northern sector (where the British were stationed) must have been the worst region because of all the rains and mud; afterall, one must consider how many soldiers drowned at Paschendale. Other factors, including a poor diet, rats, disease, lack of sanitation, which helped bring about the disease, and trench foot, all contributed to making the soldiers miserable. The German soldiers had it worst in terms of diet because the British blockade virtually halted their ability to import food from overseas.
The part on combat was a pretty basic description of military history during the war. All of the weapons from artillery to poison gas, to machine guns were mentioned. Unfortunately, the generals had little understanding of how to use these advanced weapons, and that resulted in the needless slaughter of countless soldiers. I was most interested in the military actions that were not conventional battles, such as patrols and raids because I knew nothing about them before reading Eye Deep in Hell. I was also surprised to read that there were times when soldiers would make it a point to spare the enemy, such as the incident where a Canadian soldier walked too close to a German trench in foggy weather, and the Germans told him to go back to his own trench or he would get shot. I was surprised that the soldiers were not necessarily scared when they entered combat (where there was a good chance that they would be killed). The soldiers were in a daze when the went over the top.
"A Lighter Side" was about entertainment and recreation in the trenches. They had a variety of different activities, including sporting matches, plays, concerts. There were also the time-honored forms of recreation for soldiers of gambling and visiting prostitutes. As in all wars, letters from home were a great diversion for soldiers. I was surprised about how strictly the alcohol intake was regulated for soldiers, and how the officers actually managed to enforce it. Soldiers used to drink like fish in other wars. Naturally, it was a great blessing for soldiers to be able to go on leave. It was harder for English or American soldiers because their homes and families were far away. The amount of leaves granted increased towards the end of the war to improve morale.
I found the least section on Attitude to be the most interesting. While I knew that there was the "Christmas Truce" in 1914, I did not know that there were similar truces during the war. It is hard for me to understand how the soldiers did not necessarily hate each other despite the propaganda during the time (English soldiers were curious to see what the Huns were like, only to find them normal people). If I was in the army right now, I would have no desire to do anything to an Al Queda terrorist than to fill him with lead. While I knew of the French mutiny of 1917, I did not know that the British army was on the verge of a similar mutiny, and the two nations did what they could to improve their soldiers' lives in the final year of the war. Despite this mutinies and a few other forms of protest, most soldiers joined the army and did what they could "to do their duty," which seemed to be the book's overall theme.
I considered Eye Deep in Hell to be a good read. It was informative, it was easy-reading, and had descriptive pictures. There were two things that I would have liked to have been able to see. Although Ellis wrote about the Western Front, it would have helped if he made reference to other fronts; I would have been interested to read about the cold weather and starvation in the east or the sheer slaughter in Italy, as it is virtually impossible to wage a successful offensive in the Alps. While Ellis provided many quotes from soldiers to add the common man's perspective, I wish that he could have provided more quotes from soldiers who fought in the trenches and went on to other things after the war. While he did quote poet Siegfried Sassoon, it would have been interesting to hear what some others such as J.R.R. Tolkein, Adolf Hitler, or Harry S. Truman had to say.
Different Way of Telling the WWI Story of Waste.......2006-02-04
Ellis doesn't produce anything new or different in terms of his evaluation of life in the trenches. The unique feature of the book is that it recounts history from the standpoint of the personal experience rather from the sequence of battles fought. The material is a review of much contained in the first person accounts of Sassoon, Graves, Barbusse and Junger. Eye Deep is a relatively short work but presents little new in view of the classic works of World War I. It might be a good explanation of the personal tragedy of the soldiers involved for a reader not very knowledgeable of the conditions encountered in the trenches of World War I.
Must Read.......2005-10-27
World War I deserves to be understood; that is, what the soldiers in that war experienced deserves to be known. Now that probably all WWI veterans are passed, it is more imperative that we not forget this history. This book really sheds no light on the politics of the war, or the strategy, or really even the big picture history of the war. But, if the "how" (not the "why") of WWI and trench warfare is puzzling to you, this will clear it up. Easy reading, but quite informative.
Postales desde el frente.......2004-02-27
A pesar de no ser un lector angloparlante y dado que son pocos los libros sobre la 1ra Guerra Mundial editados en idioma español, tuve que poner el diccionario a mi lado y tratar de entender los numerosos giros idiomaticos que utiliza el texto, sobre todo cuando se trata de racontos de los propios protagonistas del combate.
El libro esta muy bien presentado, los capitulos tratados en detalle y con una secuencia de fotografia que ilustran el coraje y el sufrimiento de los hombres en las trincheras.
Me parecio sobre todo interesante la parte dedicada a la alimentacion de los hombres, las peripecias que tenian que hacer los equipos de busqueda de comida y la peligrosidad e importancia de su mision, que aqui no se ve soslayada.
Ojala este libro sea traducido en algun momento al español, porque considero que todo estudioso del tema se vera favorecido y tendra acceso a una obra de notable valor.
The Trench War Reviled.......2004-01-07
A well written book, easy to grasp and very informative. The horrors of the trench war are well described. One of the best books on the subject!
Book Description
The first volume in the new Helion Library of the Great War, a series designed to bring into print rare books long out-of-print, as well as producing translations of important and overlooked material that will contribute to our knowledge of this conflict.
Sniping in France provides a detailed and richly-informative account of how the snipers of the Great War British army trained and fought, and measures taken against their German counterparts. The author was responsible for organising a cohesive structure to the training of the snipers via the First Army School of Scouting, Observation and Sniping, established in 1916.
Written in a very readable style, filled with anecdotes and fascinating detail, the author's study covers the genesis of sniping in the army, his early days instructing XI Corps, and then First Army, including much on the curriculum and work at that unit's School of Scouting, Observation and Sniping. It also includes anecdotal chapters describing sniping memories, before concluding with recollections of training the Portugese Expeditionary Force's snipers, and looking ahead to the future of sniping. Detailed appendices reproduce relevant excerpts from the army's wartime training manuals.
Originally published in 1920, copies are highly sought-after. Helion's reprint is a high quality edition, newly-typeset, with a new index, and featuring a number of charming pencil sketches by Ernest Blaikley.
Customer Reviews:
Mostly enjoyable, mostly interesting.......2005-03-30
This short book is obviously unique and covers more-or-less what you would expect. The read is, for the most part, pretty dry. There is a lot of information about the inter-service machinations that resulted in the establishment of the observation and sniping schools: who did what, and how the schools came about. I found this somewhat uninteresting. There is also material, of course, on what the schools taught, etc., and although this is interesting material, it is presented in a very dry manner--much of it as an appendix which is a schedule of the courses taught, broken down by day and hour, without details on the actual course of instruction.
The actual observation and sniping anecdotes are very enjoyable, but also fairly infrequent, and a few of them are told twice to illustrate various viewpoints. I would stress that although the book is entitled "Sniping..." it would be more accuratly entitled "Observation and Sniping..."
If you're looking for a more-or-less historical perspective without much of the "action", and you don't mind the rather steep price, then this is the book for you. If you're more interested in the "war stories", then I'd suggest Herbert McBride's book instead.
An excellent read.......2004-07-02
It would appear that this title has not been published since its first appearance in 1920; a great pity given its unique subject and the authors' expertise and experience in the field. Prior to the war, Hesketh-Prichard had been a big-game hunter, expert shot, cricketer, and travel author. He entered the army in 1914 and set about trying to improve the poor standard of British army sniping evident in France, eventually creating the "The First Army School of Sniping, Observing and Scouting (SOS)" which set the standard for sniping in France.
In this very readable book, the author discusses his enthusiasm for sniping and the problems he encountered setting up such a school in a British army that had no `Establishment' (his words) for such a thing. Early on he describes seeing a sniper in action who was adamant he was putting every one of his bullets through the enemy's loop-hole at 600 yards with his telescopic rifle. Hesketh-Prichard observed through his own Ross telescope that they were consistently striking six feet to the left. This illustrates a common theme in the book, where `snipers' used telescopic rifles that weren't sighted in, were poorly maintained, and were used by untrained soldiers with little or no experience of stalking, using cover, or camouflage. The result was that the Germans had the upper hand and were causing appalling casualties. Hesketh-Prichard could see the benefit to unit morale of having truly expert snipers using specialist weapons, and successfully fought to teach this unique skill.
The book discusses the early days, memories of both sniping and observing, the curriculum of the School, the training of the Portuguese, and includes two chapters illustrating the value of observation and information-gathering, `Wilibald The Hun' and "The Cat'. Following the book proper is three appendices that discuss the training of observers, the general teaching cource at the First Army School of SOS, and care of arms, range practice, patrolling and scouting, the stalking telescope, front line observation and reports, use of scouts, observers and snipers in attack, defence and open warfare, and the Enfield 1914 pattern `snipers rifle'.
The text is leavened with a number of expert sketches and photographs illustrating points in the book, such as cover and camouflage, observation, etc. I did note several instances of lax proof-reading, limited to full stops in inappropriate places. These do not detract from what is a fine book written by a recognized expert in his field, and which is a joy to read. Very highly recommended.
This review is of the 2004 hardcover edition by Helion & Co.
Customer Reviews:
U.S. Army artists in WWI.......1997-12-19
More than half the book is biographical materials on the individual artists and text regarding their involvement with the army. Actual reproductions of art work are fewer than I would have liked but are of good quality.
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant.......2005-02-21
The dominant opinion here seems to be that "Copse 125", while not completely useless, is inferior to Jünger's masterpiece "The Storm of Steel" and should not be bothered with. While it is true that this book is in no way equal to "The Storm of Steel", it is a brilliant description of trench warfare in its own right, and what one reviewer has erroneously called "philosophical ramblings" are actually quite interesting observations regarding the union of man with machine, and the coming of the "New Man", Jünger's ideal warrior "merciless to himself and others". Jünger's trademark coldness may turn some off, but I find it refreshing. So, while for those seeking simply a "war book", "Copse 125" is not the best choice, but for those seeking a unique piece of literature which combines lucid, moving, poetic descriptions of life in the trenches with philosophical observations of modernity, warfare, and the indomitable human spirit, "Copse 125" should be read and cherished.
Leave it on the shelf .......2004-11-04
I read "Storm of Steel," and enjoyed it for the historical references and descriptions. I could take Junger's philosophical ramblings as it was mixed with interesting writing.
"Copse 125," was too much of the latter...terrible pish-posh of "Steel warriors forged in the trenches," nonsense.
Philosophy vs. Memoir.......2004-07-17
Storm of Steel, Junger's more famous WWI memoir, is an excellent book, capturing a young patriotic German's response to trench warfare. It's full of details of daily life in the trenches and has a particularly good passage of his involvement in the Kaiserschlacht offensive. By comparison, Copse 125, only contains a few pages of war memoir. The balance of the book is philosophical tract based on zealous nationalism. If you want to read several hundred pages of why Imperial Germany deserved to win the First World War and rule Europe, well, be my guest.
only for the serious.......2003-07-31
a reprint with poorly reproduced text. Its a good memoir from a German officer, with some ripping good bits. However, at least half or so is a lot of self reflection.
So if you are really into the German side of WW1 in a scholarly way iots a great source. If you just want cool tales of fighting pass it up.
Book Description
The Allied attempt to break the stalemate of trench warfare by the 'big pushes' of 1916 led to massively costly battles of attrition. The Germans responded by developing schemes of defence in depth anchored on concrete bunkers; the Allies, by sophisticated artillery tactics in support of infantry assaults, and by the introduction of the tank - at first an accident-prone novelty, but later a front-breaking weapon. On both sides the small, self-reliant, opportunistic infantry unit, with its own specialist weapons, became the basic tool of attack. This second of a fascinating two-part study of the birth of 20th century tactics is illustrated in colour and includes rare photographs.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but Anglo-centric.......2002-06-21
Dr. Stephen Bull, curator of Military History and Archaeology at the Museum of Lancashire, picks up in this volume where he left off in his first Osprey volume on trench warfare. In this volume, Dr. Bull covers the evolution of trench warfare in 1916-1918. While far from comprehensive, this volume is interesting and does cover the most important aspects of the subject. However, readers should be aware of the not-too-subtle Anglo-centric bias of the author, particularly since like the first volume, the entire focus is on the Western Front. Trench warfare on the Russian, Italian and Turkish fronts is ignored in this volume, and even the French do not receive their fare share of coverage. I find it odd that the tiny Portuguese expeditionary force receives more attention than any Commonwealth army in this volume, including the Canadians and ANZACs. Indeed, both books in these series really only concern themselves with British and German trench warfare on the Western Front. Nevertheless, given the size constraints, these two volumes represent a good summary of Western Front trench warfare in the First World War.
The volume consists of short sections on the development of "Big Push" tactics; introduction of helmets and body armor; raids; sniping'; new defensive tactics; light machine guns; new offensive tactics (German and British only). The excellent cover plates include British raiders; German assault troops 1917; a Portuguese trench mortar team 1917; British & Australian specialist troops; German equipment; French specialist troops; American infantry 1918; German assault troops 1918; American trench fighters 1918; and a British platoon attack 1918.
Overall, the author does a good job covering the highlights of evolving trench warfare doctrine in 1916-1918 and hammers home the thesis that tactics and doctrine were in a period of trial and error in this period. However, while the author successfully identifies the recognition by both sides that a solution to trench warfare deadlock had to be found, he fails to adequately define their solutions. While the author discusses the German storm trooper units and mentions Colonel Bruchmuller's new artillery tactics, he fails to note the lessons learned in 1917 at Riga and Caporetto. Nor does the author really describe infiltration tactics or the fact that the attacks in the 1918 Kaiserschlacht were a mix of infiltration and standard infantry tactics. As for the British, the author does a much better job (obviously since this is where most of his information concerns) discussing the evolution of new tactics, including tanks and specialist troops. However, deficiencies in British defensive tactics that contributed to the 1918 defeats are not mentioned. Nor are Canadian troops mentioned in this volume, despite the impressive capture of heavily defended Vimy Ridge in April 1917. Although French troops and weapons appear in various illustrations in the volume, they are barely mentioned in the text and there is no mention of the 1917 Nivelle Offensive. Furthermore, the author's failure to mention the development of "methodical battle" tactics by both the French and the Australian general Monash is a major omission. Yet despite the over-focus on the British trench experience, these volumes are still a good summary of the subject, as long as readers do not forget that there were other armies that were fighting and dying in the trenches in 1914-1918.
Very Good but Limited by Size Constraints.......2002-04-05
World War 1 Trench Warfare is an excellent summary of the transformation from maneuver warfare to static operations and its associated problems in 1914-1916. The author, Dr Stephen Bull, is a curator and military historian at the Museum of Lancashire. While this volume is almost exclusively focused on the Western Front, the author does provide a thorough survey of the main elements of his subject. Unfortunately, the size constraints imposed by the Osprey format prevent Dr. Bull's fine effort from being more comprehensive in terms of other theaters of the war. The Eastern Front is only slightly addressed, while the Balkan and Gallipoli fronts are virtually ignored. The Italian army and the Italian-Austrian Front are never mentioned. All in all, Dr Bull has provided a fine survey of trench warfare in the opening phase of the war, but his fine efforts are clearly constrained by the concise Osprey format.
The volume begins with a 6-page summary of the main armies in 1914, including sections on artillery, cavalry and infantry, enlistment sources and tactics. A 4-page section on infantry weapons in 1914 appends the section on armies. This opening 10-page section is well written and provides a good basis for understanding the military forces available at the start of the war. However, there are some omissions that affect the author's narrative concerning the genesis of trench warfare. First, there is no mention of relative engineer capabilities of the opposing armies, since the author focuses only on the three primary branches. In fact, Germany had a substantial edge in engineering capabilities, beginning with the fact that it assigned an engineer battalion to each of its divisions; British divisions had only two engineer companies and French divisions only one. Therefore when the time came to dig in, German divisions had 50-200% more engineering capability than their opposite numbers. A second factor relates to pre-war doctrine, which the author only addresses in terms of offensive tactics. Again, Germany had an advantage because it had employed rudimentary trench works in pre-war maneuvers, whereas most other armies had not. Both of these factors helped to give Germany an early edge in trench warfare.
The author provides a short section on the early maneuver phase of the war in 1914, followed by a 10-page section on the first trenches. The section on the transformation to trench warfare is decent but fails to adequately explain the reasons for this shift. The "shell scandals" of 1914-1915 are also covered in this section on the opening days of the war. Unfortunately, the author misses the opportunity to mention a number of issues highly germane to trench warfare, partly because of diversions on side issues like the "shell scandal." The author misses the two critical components that set the stage for trench warfare in the first place: machine guns with mutually supporting and interlocked fields of fire and durable obstacles. While the author provides technical details on machineguns, he fails to note that it was the combination of the two aforementioned factors that changed the tactical equation. Furthermore, barbed wire - one of the critical components of trench warfare - is never addressed. The author should have addressed how it was incorporated in defenses, how it was laid and the difficulties in penetrating wire that defeated infantry assaults. Another related factor of trench warfare is the issue of non-battle casualties, of which there were thousands in the muddy lice-infested trenches; it was the non-battle casualties that necessitated unit rotation even more than combat casualties. The main part of this volume consists of a 19-page section on the new weapons and tactics required by the transformation to trench warfare. In the weapons section, the author details the various grenades, mortars and bomb throwers introduced to deal with the siege conditions at the front. In the tactics section, the author covers the use of these new weapons and ends with a interesting example of trench warfare, "during a period of little more than 48 hours of defensive action 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers threw 8,000 grenades, and lost 93 men killed or died of wounds, 13 men missing, and 274 wounded. During their ten week tour of duty casualties amounted to 50 officers and 2,300 rank and file, or more than double the initial strength of the battalion."
The last 10 pages of this volume consist of an overview of new tactics in 1915 and the 1916 Battle of Verdun. There is little mention of the Battle of the Somme, which presumably will be addressed in the next volume, or of changes in artillery tactics. The section on 1915 tactics is quite good and includes the introduction of poison gas and flamethrowers. Dr Bull succeeds in demonstrating that 1915 was not a static year of mindless trench assaults but rather, a period of experimentation and transformation as both sides sought to find solutions to the indecisiveness of trench warfare. Hurricane bombardments, infiltration and mixed assault groups were all introduced in 1915. Unfortunately, while the author points out that not all attacks were not futile, he fails to highlight some of the battles in 1915 - like the initially successful French assault on Vimy Ridge on May 9, 1915 - where well-prepared attacks succeeded. Indeed, it was the lack of sufficient heavy artillery that greatly inhibited Allied offensive action in 1915.
As usual in an Osprey title, the section of color plates in the center of the volume is excellent. These plates include: French bombers in 1914-1915, British bombers in 1914-1915, British snipers in 1915-1916, a German machine gun team in 1915, British bomb catapults in 1915, mine warfare in 1916, Allied gas masks, a Russian trench garrison in 1914-1915, German trench raiders in 1916 and French mortar troops in 1916. All of these illustrations are excellent. The photographs and diagrams throughout the volume are also quite good.
Book Description
Trench art is the evocative name given to a dazzling array of objects made from the waste of industrialized war. Each object, whether an engraved shell case, cigarette lighter or a pen made from shrapnel, tells a unique and moving story about its maker. For the first time, this book explores in-depth the history and cultural importance behind these ambiguous art forms. Not only do they symbolize human responses to the atrocities of war, but they also act as mediators between soldiers and civilians, individuals and industrial society, and, most importantly, between the living and the dead. Trench art resonates most obviously with the terror of endless bombardment, night raids, gas attacks and the bestial nature of trench life. It grew in popularity between 1919 and 1939 when the bereaved embarked on battlefield pilgrimages and returned with objects intended to keep alive the memory of loved ones. The term trench art is, however, misleading, as it does not simply refer to materials found in the trenches. It describes a diverse range of objects that have in some way emerged from the experience of war all over the world. Many distinctive objects, for example, were made during conflicts in Bosnia, Vietnam, Northern Ireland and Korea.
Surprisingly, trench art predates World War I and it can be made in a number of earlier wars such as the Crimean War, the American Civil War, and the Boer War. Saunders looks at the broader issues of what is meant by trench art, what it was before the trenches and how it fits in with other art movements, as well as the specific materials used in making it. He suggests that it can be seen as a bridge between the nineteenth century certainties and the fragmented industrialized values and ideals of the modern world. This long overdue study offers an original and informative look at one of the most arresting forms of art. Spanning from 1800 to the present day, its analysis of art, human experience, and warfare will pave the way for new research and will be of great interest to cultural and military historians, anthropologists, art historians and collectors.
Book Description
A New York Times Bestseller
In the firmament of historical novelists, Anne Perry is a star of the greatest magnitude. In this mesmerizing World War I series, she juxtaposes the tranquil life of the English countryside with the horrors of the murderous conflict whose violence still resounds in our consciousness.
Download Description
CHAPTER ONE
It was shortly after three in the afternoon. Joseph Reavley was half asleep in the April sun, his back to the pale clay wall of the trench, when he heard the angry voices.
¿They be moi boots, Tucky Nunn, an¿ you know that well as Oi do! Yours be over there wi¿ holes in ¿em!¿ It was Plugger Arnold, a seasoned soldier of twenty, big-boned, a son of the village blacksmith. He had been in Flanders since the outbreak of war in August. Although he was angry, he kept his voice low. He knew it carried in the afternoon stillness when the men snatched the three or four hours of sleep they could.
The German trenches were only seventy yards away across this stretch of the Ypres Salient. Anyone foolish enough to reach a hand up above the parapet would be likely to get it shot. The snipers seldom needed a second chance. Added to which, getting yourself injured on purpose was a court-martial offense.
Tucky Nunn, nineteen and new this far forward, was standing on the duckboards that floored the trench. They were there to keep the men¿s feet above the icy water that sloshed around, but they seldom worked. The water level was too high. Every time you thought it was drying out at last, it rained again.
¿Yeah?¿ Tucky said, his eyebrows raised. ¿Fit me perfect, they do. Didn¿t see your name on ¿em. Must ¿ave wore off.¿ He grinned, making no move to bend and unlace the offending boots and hand them back.
Plugger was sitting half sideways on the fire-step. A few yards away the sentry was standing with his back to them, staring through the periscope over the wire and mud of no-man¿s-land. He could not afford to lose concentration even for a moment, regardless of what went on behind him.
¿They¿s moi boots,¿ Plugger said between his teeth. ¿Take ¿em off yer soddin¿ feet an¿ give ¿em back to me, or Oi¿ll take ¿em off yer and give yer to the rats!¿
Tucky bounced on the balls of his feet, hunching his shoulders a little. ¿You want to try?¿ he invited.
Doughy Ward crawled out of his dugout, fully dressed, as they all were: webbing and rifle with bayonet attached. His fair-skinned face was crumpled with annoyance at being robbed of any part of his few hours of sleep. He glared at Joseph. ¿ `Thou shalt not steal.¿ Isn¿t that right, Chaplain?¿
It was a demand that even here in the mud and the cold, amid boredom and sporadic violence, Joseph should do his job and stand for the values of justice that must remain, or all this would sink into a purposeless hell. Without right and wrong there was no sanity.
¿Oi didn¿t steal them!¿ Tucky said angrily. ¿They were . . .¿ He did not finish the sentence because Plugger hit him, a rolling blow that caught the side of his jaw as he ducked and struck back.
There was no point in shouting at them, and the sound would carry. Added to which Joseph did not want to let the whole trench know that there was a discipline problem. Both men could end up on a charge, and that was not the way for a chaplain to resolve anything. He moved forward, careful to avoid being struck himself, and grasped hold of Tucky, taking him off balance and knocking him against the uprights that held the trench wall.
¿The Germans are that way!¿ he said tartly, jerking his head back toward the parapet and no-man¿s-land beyond.
Plugger was up on his feet, slithering in the mud on the duckboards, his socks filthy and sodden. ¿Good oidea to send him over the top, Captain, where he belongs! But not in moi boots!¿ He was floundering toward them, arms flailing as if to carry on the fight.
Joseph stepped between them, risking being caught by both, the worst part of which would be that then a charge would be unavoidable. ¿Stop it!¿ he ordered briskly. ¿Take the boots off, Nunn!¿
¿Thank you, Chaplain,¿ Plugger responded with a smile of satisfaction
Customer Reviews:
A slow second act. .......2007-04-29
I could read Perry's descriptions of a English countryside for hundreds of pages, but I can not say the same about the way she goes on about the emotions the characters are experiencing in this book. When Perry did give descriptions of the horrors of the first World War the book picked up very well, and even the side excursion to Gallipoli was done well. The story does get sidetracked from original murder mystery, but not to a point of no return. The ongoing chase of 'The Peacemaker' still entertains, but his machinations do not seem overly inspired in this book. If the third novel goes the same directions, in terms of exploring the emotional side of the characters, vice historical fiction and mystery I will give up on the series. Instead, I will pick up on the new Arturo Perez-Reverte series sooner then I expected.
Absolutely Riveting!.......2007-01-28
In her second book of her World War I series, Shoulder The Sky, Anne Perry delivers another stunning story revolving around the Reavley siblings. The death of a young war correspondent, Eldon Prentice, at first seems to be one of the many casualties of war. Upon closer inspection, Joseph Reavley, a Chaplin working on the front lines in Ypres, suspects Prentice was not a casualty of war, but murdered. Meanwhile Matthew Reavley, a diligent employee of the Secret Intelligence Service, continues to track down the elusive Peacemaker. While the plot line itself is fantastic, it is Perry's ability to paint a vivid picture of life during the war that captivates the reader. Perry is unrelenting in her description of life in the trenches. She has a unique ability to convey the horrors of war, but at the same time express the fierce companionship between the men fighting for what they believe in. Even if the plotline does not interest you, her meticulous research and dramatic presentation of the war effort is well worth the read. I find it hard to believe that after writing so many novels Anne Perry is still able to present us with fresh storylines, incredibly realistic characters and a vivid reconstruction of life during World War I. This is definitely one of Perry's better works.
Can't wait for the next edition in this series.......2006-08-08
I am not usually an Anne Perry fan, but this series is wonderful, can't put the books down. I have read all three books in the series, starting with Shoulder the Sky. I can't wait for the next one. I am now an Anne Perry fan.
For heavens sake.......2006-07-06
I cannot say I enjoyed this book, largely because the main character, Joseph Reaveley, seemed to me to be self-absorbed and oddly moralistic in his approach to the horrors of war and the challenge of defending what often seems entirely indefensible. For example, there is the rotten war correspondent who forces (though heaven knows why) a courtmartial of a poor wounded soldier who may or may not have deliberately maimed himself to get out of the trenches and tunnels he was wounded in. It is never quite clear why in the face of no evidence of self-mutilation this fellow is courtmartialed and possibly (we never know) likely to be hung. It is, apparently, because, morality and honor require this??? Then, when this same correspondent turns up dead (with everyone thinking it couldn't have happened to a nicer fellow)- Saint Chaplain Reavely takes it upon himself to find out if he was murdered and if so, by whom. This, in the midst of trench warfare, poison gas - and then the idiocy of Gallipoli - where Joseph appears to confront another war correspondent who thinks the stupidity of that battle should be reported. Oh no, says our Joseph who is horrified that anyone in England should know of this - and tries to stop him - risking his own death (how incredibly brave) as well as that of another poor wounded fellow who, of course, is ready and willing to die, because Joseph knows best. Then, of course, there is Joseph's moral outrage at his sister who is chastely yearning for a General, and his "courageous" decision to ruin his best friend's life because doing so is "the morally defensible and right thing to do" despite the fact that Joe knows what his friend did was necessary to save England from the truth of the horrors of war. Really? This was the most disappointing of this series. Joe's previous moralizing was a bit much - but tolerable. This one was way over the top and thoroughly unbelievable.
Lest we forget the price paid for our freedoms..........2006-04-26
I became interested in WWI not as a person looking for tragedies (which it most definitely was) but rather in doing geneaology and learning about a great-uncle of mine who served in Europe during that time period. That geneaology also led to my finding out that my great-grandmother who suffered from epilepsy was placed in a 'poorhouse' due to epilepsy, where she died from influenza that struck the world at the end of the war. All this information made my family seem more real to me, and made me want to read more about their lives then, what was good, what was bad.
I've found a few very excellent mystery writers who write within this time frame, such as Charles Todd. I love his books,and though I am not absolutely crazy about Perry's other mysteries, I knew she was a fairly good writer...so I thought I'd give these a try.Other than being overly repititious, Perry did an interesting story here. There are a few subplots going on, involving a family of four adult children who in the midst of living their lives are also trying to find the person who assassinated their parents (in the first book which I have yet to read).
Two of the children are at the front; one as a chaplain who is feeling somewhat useless in the face of so much carnage, and one is a voluntary ambulance driver who seems to have found her calling. A rather objectionable journalist finds his way to their area of the front, and proceeds to antagonize everyone, and it is obvious that he means to blow the lid of this can of worms about how useless this war is and discourage other young men from signing up for the draft and keeping other countries from assisting Germany. What is not known is this man is in cahoots with the man who killed Reavely parents for ulterior reasons of splitting the world up into basically two halves, and greatly curtailing individual freedoms.
This man is killed, and though no one is mourning his loss, the priest finds it necessary for his own peace of mind to determine who killed him and bring that person to some form of justice. In doing so, he ends up hurting himself...which sometimes happens when we do what is right.
Many of the accolades given to Perry on her writing are true. She does do justice to the time period, when so much seemed so bleak, and where it is difficult to find a moral compass when so much is at stake. I enjoyed this and will continue to read them as they come out.
Karen Sadler
Book Description
World War I stands as a watershed in the evolution of modern warfare, with the development of sophisticated trench systems forming a battlefield over 400 miles long, notable improvements in weaponry and equipment and the first example of tanks being used in battle. This book examines the day-to-day lives of the British Tommy, the German Stormtrooper, the French Poilu and the American Doughboy as they fought and died in the trenches, with details of their recruitment and training and vivid descriptions of combat on the Western Front. It also provides an extensive reassessment of trench warfare, following the development of controversial tactics and new weapons, the first use of poison gas in warfare and the introduction of the tank - initially an accident-prone novelty but later a front-breaking weapon.
Contents: Foreword - Part 1: Warriors on the Western Front - Stormtrooper - Poilu - Tommy - Doughboy Part 2: Trench Warfare - Bibliography - Index
Customer Reviews:
Solid one-volume reference.......2007-07-06
The authors of this volume succeed in cramming about 12 pounds of information into a 10-pound bag. The large format with 272 pages including index contains knowledgable commentary on the British, French, German, and American armies on the Western Front from 1914-1918. Each nation is examined in terms of recruiting, training, equipment, doctrine, and combat operations. The scope is necessarily large but augmented by details of clothing, equipment, weapons, transport, etc. The last two chapters examine the war's progress (and lack thereof) with gradual shifting from static defense to fluid offense.
Illustrations abound, a variety of period photos (generally good quality; some are familiar) and color plates evidently lifted from other Osprey titles. There are also chronologies for each nation in the Great War.
The book's major fault is not content or treatment, but style. Each author relies excessively on definite articles, as many as 5, 6, and 7 times in a paragraph. "This" and "these" generally refer to subjects that are apparent, but not always. And the sheer magnitude of such usage eventually detracts from readability. Where authors insist on overdoing such style, editors need to exert their authority.
Overall, an excellent reference with a useful bibliography containing 50 titles from each combatant nation.
Book Description
In the autumn of 1914 the original British Expeditionary Force faced a heavily reinforced German drive. Field Marshal Sir John French, the British Commander-in-Chief, had sent his men north in an attempt to take the fight into Flanders, so they could fight across open ground. History tells us that this was not to be the case. David Lomas chronicles the first of the trench-warfare battles, where lines that would remain almost static for the rest of the war were established. Although the Germans failed to reach the channel ports, the death knell had rung for the BEF, which was virtually wiped out in this brave defense. In the autumn of 1914 the original British Expeditionary Force, aided by French troops under Foch, stood against a heavily reinforced German drive. Field Marshal Sir John French, the British Commander-in-Chief had sent his men north in an attempt to take the fight into open ground in Flanders, so his men could fight across open ground as they had been trained to do. History tells us that this was not to be the case. David Lomas' excellent book covers the first of the trench-warfare battles, where lines that would remain almost static for the rest of the war were established. Although the Germans would fail to reach the channel ports, the death knell had rung for the BEF. It was virtually wiped out in this brave defense, to be replaced later by Kitchener's mass of volunteers. However, in spite of its loss of 58,155 killed, wounded and missing it and its French allies did manage to inflict at least 134,315 casualties on the Germans and halt their offensive: on 17th November Falkenhayn decided to cut his losses and abandon his attack. With the battle's end went the last chance, for four years, for a war of movement. Static trench warfare now became the reality on the Western Front and the towns of La Bassee, Armentieres, Messines and Ypres would remain prominent in the fighting until the end of the war.
Books:
- Military Innovation In The Interwar Period
- Moscow to Stalingrad: Decision in the East (Army Historical)
- Night (Oprah's Book Club)
- Number the Stars
- Olga's Story: Three Continents, Two World Wars and Revolution--One Woman's Epic Journey Through the Twentieth Century
- Operation Barbarossa in Photographs: The War in Russia As Photographed by the Soldiers (Schiffer Military History)
- Rescuing Da Vinci: Hitler and the Nazis Stole Europe's Great Art - America and Her Allies Recovered It
- Sharpe's Company (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #13)
- Sharpe's Sword (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #5)
- Sherman's March to the Sea 1864: Atlanta to Savannah (Campaign)
Books Index
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