Forgotten Voices of The Great War
32 of 32 Ciao Users found the following review helpful
Advantages Very emotional and truthful book - with accounts, extra context and pictures
Disadvantages Can get very emotipanl and rather painful to read at times - the truth can hurt
I am currently studying history at A level and am very interested in the two world wars and have bought so many different information and text books with information on these wars. These have all been useful to not only my studies, but also in my own personal research and interest in the subject, one that is very emotional and important to me and the history of not only this country, but the whole world. However this book is very different and recounts the war as it was - it is basically a collection of diary extracts from hundreds of different people who were alive and involved in the war - either fighting on the front line or helping on the home front. This book is therefore far more truthful and revealing about the truth and is extremely emotional and shocking.
Forgotten voices of the great war: A history of ww1 in the words of men and women who were there.
The book is split into several different sections and follows in chronological order through the years of 1914 to 1918. It includes extracts and "voices" from hundreds of different people involved in the war, be it men or women of all ages. There is also some context around the accounts which indicates what particular part of the war they are to do with and makes them much more understandable and easy to comprehend.
There are also pictures of the war in the book which divide up the text a bit and add that bit more evidence and make it all that more realistic and come to life.
"We were quite clear that Germany would be defeated by the 7th of October when we would go back to Cambridge"
This account indicates how the war was only expected to last a month or two, by which time they could get back to university - yet it ended up lasting a staggering 4 years. One also notices a change in the tone of the quotes as you go through the years as hope and excitement begins to vanish and the soldiers seem to lose all hope and vitality.One of my favourite sections is the bit which talks about the Christmas of 1914 and what happened:
One soldier talked about meeting the German soldiers in no man's land:It is amazing how at the beginning of the war the soldiers were very much related and understood each other - and both knew a lot about each other's country.
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denella 19/08/2008 12:43
Soho_Black 18/08/2008 14:14
gizmogizmo 08/08/2008 00:03
silverstreak 31/07/2008 08:11
MarcoG 29/07/2008 21:23
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