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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
- The Somme is one of the most written about battles in military history. Where to start your reading given the huge number of books about the period? In this episode we take a 'layered' approach to reading and examine everything from 'Gateway Books' to Battlefield Guides.
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A great podcast Paul. Thanks.
Thank you!
I have over 100 books in relation directly to The Somme. I would only recommend 3
Which three?
Thank you, so very sincerely. My paternal grandfather was fortunate enough to survive. Not The Somme. Another "escapade". But for that, I would not be tapping away at this hour. Your grandmother bought a book for you? My grandmother never spoke about her late husband's experiences. Grandpa died, prior to my father and mother even meeting.
Currently on Ch 5 of M. Middlebrook's book.
@36:00 Sheffield pals battalion. John Harris. Covenant With Death.
Fictitious characters but based upon real time events.
Both Peter and Christopher Hitchens rated that book as being essential reading. I like both Peter and Christopher Hitchens writing, but for different reasons. P Hitchens stated that WW1 was the start of the demise of British, global dominance. Heralding the usurpation of power to another global, state actor or interest group.
Thoughts?
It’s a complex subject and perhaps for another podcast another day but yes John Harris’ book very good!
I met a father & son on the outskirts of Ypres. They were tracing the footsteps of WH Downing from his memoire "To The Last Ridge". It's rare this book is touched upon - at least in the UK. The prose, however, is exeptional; and an outstanding elitaph to his fallen comrades. The record of stoicism on those pages just leaves you in awe and I find myself thinking: when the most valiant in society have their lives cut short, does a country ever really recover from that loss.
I think many countries struggled to recover from that loss for sure.