Matrix Games Forums

Hello all,

I've been a ww1 wargames enthusiast for a few years now and have some recomendations for you all. These are only the book I have experiance with.

Overall Picture:

Strachan's First World War gives a great global picture of the war. Nice balance of facets. I own, but have not started his Call to Arms book.

FWW: http://www.amazon.com/First-World-War-Hew-Strachan/dp/0143035185/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-2422713-8234437?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186768991&sr=8-2

Strachan Interview: Author interview, if you create and account here there is a wealth of military history programs that can be downloaded or streamed http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/viewGenericVideoPage.do?id=80

Call to Arms: http://www.amazon.com/First-World-War-Oxford-Paperback/dp/0199261911/ref=pd_bbs_8/002-2422713-8234437?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186768991&sr=8-8

A Short History of World War 1 by James Stokesbury is a very good introduction to the war also. I got it on audiobook from the library and enjoyed it.

Stokesbury: http://www.amazon.com/Short-History-World-War-I/dp/0688001297/ref=sr_1_8/002-2422713-8234437?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186769465&sr=1-8

Martin Gilbert is ok, as well as keegan, but they both don't give enough detail to non-western front battles.

Gilbert: http://www.amazon.com/First-World-War-Complete-History/dp/0805076174/ref=pd_bbs_3/002-2422713-8234437?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186768991&sr=8-3

Keegan got off to a great start, but I fealt like he really skimped on detail after 1915 or so.

Keegan: http://www.amazon.com/First-World-War-John-Keegan/dp/0375700455/ref=cm_lmf_tit_3_rsrsrs0/002-2422713-8234437

One other book bear mentioning, I bought a paper back called Mammouth Eyewitness to the First World War or something to that affect. While not cohesive history it can be quite entertaining when reading personal accounts of all aspects of the war.

Mammoth: http://www.amazon.com/Mammoth-Book-Eyewitness-World-War/dp/0786712880/ref=pd_ts_b_21/002-2422713-8234437?ie=UTF8&s=books

The same goes for a book called A War in Words which is a compilation of letters and diaries, this one is really quite good and engrossing. I got this one in the UK and it may be titled different in the US. I can't seem to find it.

Norm Stone's Eastern Front book is still the best though written before the eastern archives were opened. hopefully someone will write a new standard East Front book in the near future.

Stone: http://www.amazon.com/Eastern-Front-1914-1917-Norman-Stone/dp/0140267255/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-2422713-8234437?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186769816&sr=8-1

Holger Herwigs book is also good on east and west front.

Herwig: http://www.amazon.com/First-World-War-Austria-Hungary-1914-1918/dp/0340573481/ref=sr_1_2/002-2422713-8234437?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186769490&sr=1-2

AEF:

John Eisenhower wrote an interesting book about the American army, it's personalities, involvment and development in the war called Yanks.

Eisenhower: http://www.amazon.com/Yanks-Epic-Story-American-World/dp/0743223853/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-2422713-8234437?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186770190&sr=1-1

There are more, but these are the ones I can remember at the moment.

ORIGINAL: Andreus

Here the problem seems one of language barrier or perhaps simply laziness. Perhaps the publishers believe that there's not market abroad for their books. I don't know.

It's a shame. I don't think I've ever read a book exclusively devoted to that front. Except maybe Rommel's.

This is a GREAT topic!

Here are some suggestions if you become interested in reading some first person accounts. Some are common , some more obscure.

Goodbye To All That by Robert Graves. An incredible first person account, by the author of I Claudius. It details his experiences in the Royal Welch Fusiliers.

The Complete Memoirs of George Sherston by Siegfried Sassoon.  It details, his experiences in the Royal Welch Fusiliers.

Have you Forgotten Yet? by CP Blacker. Personal Account of his experiences in the Coldstream Guards[/b]

Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger. Rare German 1st Person Account.

Some Desperate Glory By Edwin Campion Vaughan. 

A Storm in Flanders By Winston Groom (known for writing Forest Gump).  Damn good history of the Ypres salinet. The guy can write.

Old Soldiers Never Die by Frank Richards. NCO from the Royal Welch Fusiliers, tells his story.  (Those Royal Welch Fusiliers produced some writers!)

That's all for now, and enough to get anyone started.  I have loads more if anyone is interested and can provide.

Cheers,

BH

Isonzo - The forgotten sacrifice of the Great War by John R. Schindler is about the italian front.

Amazon

True gripping narrative by mr.Schlinder but since he was the first to write about this front he concentratated on style and drama rather than history. While I understand his purpose I found a lot of debatable issues. Yet I recommend it to anyone interested.

Goodbye To All That by Robert Graves. An incredible first person account, by the author of I Claudius. It details his experiences in the Royal Welch Fusiliers.

I was thinking of reading a WWI book and have that one on my shelf, so I'll go and start it right now (bought it, never read it). WWI books I have include:
- Tuchman's 'August 1914'
- Sir Douglas Haig's despatches from 1919 (including a box of maps which are very nicely produced)
- A set of WWI books from the 30s I think (that are so bias and twisted to be hilarious)
- Tommy by Richard Holmes
- Road to Verdun by Ian Ousby
Most of my books are WWII. A friend also bought me Boy Soldiers, but I've not had chance to read that yet.

ORIGINAL: Noakesy


I was thinking of reading a WWI book and have that one on my shelf, so I'll go and start it right now (bought it, never read it). WWI books I have include:
- Tuchman's 'August 1914'
- Sir Douglas Haig's despatches from 1919 (including a box of maps which are very nicely produced)
- A set of WWI books from the 30s I think (that are so bias and twisted to be hilarious)
- Tommy by Richard Holmes
- Road to Verdun by Ian Ousby
Most of my books are WWII. A friend also bought me Boy Soldiers, but I've not had chance to read that yet.

You won't regret it! I've read Goodbye three times now and it actually gets better with each reading. Graves has a knack for extremely dark humor, as you'll find out. He's a brilliant writer.

The other ones you have are quite nice, in particular Tommy. What are the "twisted" books called?