Isaac Rosenberg: The Making of a Great War Poet: A New Life by Jean Moorcroft Wilson ISBN: 0810126044
Published by Northwestern University Press on February 9th 2009
Genres: Biography & Autobiography, General, Literary
Pages: 504
Len's Summary: Neither a moist-eyed patriot nor a disillusioned veteran, Rosenberg was killed in action with the BEF during the spring of 1918. Also available in paperback from Phoenix (March 2009). Rosenberg’s poems are still in print.
Fruits of Victory: The Woman’s Land Army of America in the Great War
Fruits of Victory: The Woman's Land Army of America in the Great War ISBN: 1597972738 Published by Potomac Books on December 1st 2008
Pages: 352
Len's Summary: From 1917 to 1920 the Women’s Land Army (WLA) mobilized women from all walks of life to take over farm work from men drafted into the army. The WLA was deeply rooted in the political and social movements of the late Progressive Era and mirrored changing gender roles in 20th century America.
Our Friend “The Enemy”: Elite Education in Britain and Germany before World War I
Our Friend "The Enemy": Elite Education in Britain and Germany before World War I by Thomas Weber ISBN: 9780804700146
Published by Stanford University Press on 2008
Pages: 338
Len's Summary: A scholarly look at Oxford and Heidelberg University, as well as the character of European society on the eve of WWI. Challenges the concept that pre-1914 Europe was bound to collapse.
Enduring the Great War: Combat, Morale and Collapse in the German and British Armies, 1914-1918
Enduring the Great War: Combat, Morale and Collapse in the German and British Armies, 1914-1918 by Alexander Watson ISBN: 9780521123082
Published by Cambridge University Press on November 12th 2009
Genres: History, Europe, General, Military, World War I, Modern, 20th Century, Social History, Great Britain
Pages: 308
Len's Summary: Comparative scholarly study of German and British morale. The author argues that at the heart of armies’ robustness lay human resilience; that the “ordered surrender” by junior officers led to Germany’s defeat in 1918.
Hanging a Rebel: The Life of C.R.W. Nevinson
Hanging a Rebel: The Life of C.R.W. Nevinson ISBN: 0718830903 Published by Lutterworth Press on July 24th 2008
Genres: Art, History, Biography & Autobiography
Pages: 367
Len's Summary: The life of British war artist and futurist author D. R. W. Nevinson highlights the development of intellectual thought before and during the First World War.
The Lessons of War: The Experiences of Seven Future Leaders in the First World War
The Lessons of War: The Experiences of Seven Future Leaders in the First World War by William van der Kloot ISBN: 1845886348
Published by The History Press on February 1st 2009
Pages: 240
Len's Summary: The experiences of de Gaulle, Hitler, Mussolini, Mannerheim, Atäturk, Harold MacMillan and Herbert Hoover.
Les Canons de la Victoire, 1914-1918
Les Canons de la Victoire, 1914-1918 by Pierre Touzin, Francois Vauvillier ISBN: 2352501067
Published by Histoire & Collections on October 1st 2004
Pages: 65
Len's Summary: Two volumes covering field and heavy artillery deployed by the French in WWI. Available from Amazon France. // To be followed by a second volume detailing railway artillery and other specialized guns. In French, available from Casemate Publishing.
The Netherlands Indies and the Great War, 1914-1918
The Netherlands Indies and the Great War, 1914-1918 by Kees van Dijk ISBN: 9067183083
Published by Kitlv Press on March 2008
Genres: History, Military, World War I, Asia, Southeast Asia
Len's Summary: By 1917, the Dutch East Indies was facing a radical nationalist movement, as well as economic an pinch caused by loss of exports, wartime trade restrictions, the war at sea and shortages of shipping. // How severe trade restrictions imposed by the British impacted colonial economy and society, threatening Dutch rule in the Indies. See also Hubert van Tuyll The Netherlands and World War I (Brill, 2001) for a broader diplomatic and political-economic study of armed Netherlands neutrality.
The White War: Life and Death on the Italian Front, 1915-1919
The White War: Life and Death on the Italian Front, 1915-1919 by Mark Thompson ISBN: 0465020372
Published by Basic Books on October 26th 2010
Pages: 488
Len's Summary: A new survey history about a major front often ignored in telling the history of The Great War. Taking its title from the battle lines in the snow-covered Alps, this book recounts Italy’s abandonment of its German and Austro-Hungarian allies, its entry into the war on the side of the Entente in May 1915 and the resulting stalemate which cost 689 thousand Italian dead before Vienna sued for peace in October 1918.
Clausewitz’s On War: A Biography (Books That Changed the World)
Clausewitz's On War: A Biography (Books That Changed the World) by Hew Strachan ISBN: 9780802143631
Published by Grove Press on April 1st 2008
Genres: Biography & Autobiography, Historical, History, Military, Strategy
Pages: 238
Len's Summary: A premier military historian examines Clausewitz’s dense dicta on military strategy.
Harry’s War: A British Tommy’s Experiences in the Trenches in World War One
Harry's War: A British Tommy's Experiences in the Trenches in World War One by Harry Stinton, Virginia Mayo ISBN: 1844862550
Published by Conway on August 5th 2014
Pages: 224
Len's Summary: First publication of the memoirs of an infantry soldier’s combat service at Arras, Albert and Ypres before he was wounded in 1917.
British civilian internees in Germany: The Ruhleben camp, 1914-1918
British civilian internees in Germany: The Ruhleben camp, 1914-1918 by Matthew Stibbe ISBN: 9780719070853
Published by Manchester University Press on September 30th 2008
Genres: Civilians in war, Prisoners of war, History, General, Europe, Germany, Great Britain, Military, World War I, World War II, Social Science, Sociology, Penology
Pages: 210
Len's Summary: Germany’s largest WWI internment camp for enemy aliens.
Battle for the Baltic Islands, 1917: Triumph of the Imperial German Navy
Battle for the Baltic Islands, 1917: Triumph of the Imperial German Navy by Gary Staff ISBN: 9781844157877
on 2008
Pages: 178
Len's Summary: Successful German amphibious invasion, Operation Albion. See also: Operation Albion, Michael Barrett, Indiana, 2008.
The Red Prince: The Fall of a Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Europe
The Red Prince: The Fall of a Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Europe by Timothy Snyder ISBN: 0224081527
Published by Bodley Head on June 5th 2008
Pages: 344
Len's Summary: A view of the breakup of the Habsburg Empire and the aftermath through the life of Archduke Wilhelm von Habsburg (1895-1949), ardent supporter of an independent Ukraine. Also available as The Red Prince: The Secret Lives of a Habsburg Archduke, Perseus and Basic Books, 2008, ISBN 978 0 4650 0237 5, $27.95 cloth.
Unknown Soldiers: The American Expeditionary Forces in Memory and Remembrance
Unknown Soldiers: The American Expeditionary Forces in Memory and Remembrance by Mark A. Snell ISBN: 0873389409
Published by Kent State University Press on July 1st 2008
Genres: History, Military, World War I, United States, 20th Century
Pages: 274
Len's Summary: Essays from established historians on American participation in WWI and how that experience was and is remembered. Several of the authors are WFA members or frequent speakers at our seminars.
Maxime Weygand: A Biography of the French General in Two World Wars
Maxime Weygand: A Biography of the French General in Two World Wars by Barnett Singer ISBN: 9780786435715
Published by McFarland on May 19th 2008
Genres: History, Military, World War II, World War I, Biography & Autobiography, General, France
Pages: 261
Len's Summary: Biography of General Foch’s chief of Staff in WWI who inherited command of a defeated French army in 1940. See also: Maxime Weygand and Civil-Military Relations in Modern France, Philip Charles et al, Harvard, 1997, 445 pages, ISBN 978 0674 4557 017, $33.50 from Barnes & Nobel; less from used booksellers.
Through the Wheat: the U.S. Marine Corps in World War I
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Through the Wheat: The U.S. Marines in World War I by Edwin H. Simmons, Joseph H. Alexander ISBN: 1591148316
on 2011-09
Genres: History, Military, World War I, World War II, United States
Len's Summary: The long-awaited history of the Marines in WWI by a former Marine Corps Historian. Completed following Simmons’ death by Joe Alexander. Recounts action by the Fourth Marine Brigade of the 2nd Division at Belleau Wood, Soissons, Blanc Mont, St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne.
The British Soldier of the First World War
The British Soldier of the First World War by Peter Doyle ISBN: 0747806837
Published by Shire on November 18th 2008
Genres: History, Europe, Great Britain, Military, World War I
Pages: 56
Len's Summary: The soldiers’ life training, working and resting behind the front.
Command and Control on the Western Front: The British Army’s Experience 1914-18
Command and Control on the Western Front: The British Army's Experience 1914-18 by Gary Sheffield, Dan Todman ISBN: 1862274207
Published by The History Press on September 1st 2008
Genres: History, Europe, Great Britain, Military, World War I, World War II
Pages: 224
1918 The German Offensives: Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives (Images of War)
1918 The German Offensives: Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives (Images of War) by John Sheen ISBN: 1844156613
on March 21st 2008
Len's Summary: An richly illustrated history of the spring 1918 German offensives. Available in America from www.casematepublishing.com.
The Yankee Division in the First World War: In the Highest Tradition
The Yankee Division in the First World War: In the Highest Tradition by Michael E. Shay ISBN: 9781603440301
Published by Texas A&M University Press on June 20th 2008
Genres: History, Military, General, World War I, United States
Pages: 294
Len's Summary: The author defends the record of the Yankee Division against its detractors. By the author of The Grateful Heart on the Yankee Division’s 103rd Field Hospital (Greenwood 2001).
Crisis of Conscience: Conscientious Objection in Canada during the First World War
Crisis of Conscience: Conscientious Objection in Canada during the First World War by Amy J. Shaw ISBN: 0774815930
Published by UBC Press on July 1st 2009
Genres: History, Military, Canada, General, World War I
Pages: 264
Len's Summary: Examination of the experiences of Canadian conscientious objectors in WWI.
The Versailles Settlement: Peacemaking After the First World War, 1919-1923
The Versailles Settlement: Peacemaking After the First World War, 1919-1923 by Alan Sharp ISBN: 9781137069689
Published by Palgrave Macmillan on September 10th 2008
Genres: History, Europe, General, Military, World War I, World, Modern, 20th Century
Pages: 288
Len's Summary: Revision of a 1991 textbook.
Diary of a Night Bomber Pilot in World War I
Diary of a Night Bomber Pilot in World War I by Clive Semple, Wing Commander Alan Mawby ISBN: 1862274525
Published by The History Press on November 1st 2008
Genres: Biography & Autobiography, Military, History, World War I
Pages: 352
Len's Summary: Available from the Scholars Bookshelf.
We Who Are So Cosmopolitan: the War Diary of Constance Graeffe
We Who Are So Cosmopolitan: the War Diary of Constance Graeffe by Constance Graeffe, Sophie De Schaepdrijver ISBN: 9789057460906
Published by Algemeen Rijksarchief Brussel on January 1st 2008
Pages: 560
Len's Summary: The Great War’s impact on a trans-national family (German-French-English) living in Brussels, 1914-1918.
The Great Naval Game: Britain and Germany in the Age of Empire
The Great Naval Game: Britain and Germany in the Age of Empire by Jan Rüger ISBN: 0521114616
Published by Cambridge University Press on June 25th 2009
Pages: 354
Len's Summary: An analysis of the Anglo-German naval race. // Anglo-German antagonism fanned by popular pro-naval sentiments.
Gallipoli: Attack from the Sea
Gallipoli: Attack from the Sea by Victor Rudenno ISBN: 0300124406
Published by Yale University Press on July 8th 2008
Genres: History, Military, World War I, Naval
Pages: 352
Len's Summary: An analysis of the strategy and actions of land, sea and air forces with particular emphasis on the naval aspects (including use of submarines) of the campaign.
The Summer the Archduke Died: On Wars and Warriors
The Summer the Archduke Died: On Wars and Warriors by Louis D. Rubin Jr. ISBN: 0826218105
Published by University of Missouri on September 2nd 2008
Genres: History, Military, World War I, Modern, 20th Century, Essays
Pages: 184
Len's Summary: Essays on World War I, its horror, mismanagement by well meaning but inept leaders and a review of worthwhile literature on the conflict.
Woodrow Wilson and the American Myth in Italy: Culture, Diplomacy, and War Propaganda
Woodrow Wilson and the American Myth in Italy: Culture, Diplomacy, and War Propaganda by Daniela Rossini, Antony Shugaar ISBN: 0674028244
Published by Harvard University Press on May 1st 2008
Genres: History, Europe, Italy, Military, World War I, United States, 20th Century, Political Science, International Relations, Diplomacy
Pages: 263
Len's Summary: A new look at Wilsonian diplomacy, or lack there of, through an examination of Italo-American relations during WWI and during the Paris peace conference.
Battles in the Alps: A History of the Italian Front of the First World War
Battles in the Alps: A History of the Italian Front of the First World War by G. Irving Root ISBN: 1607030373
Published by America Star Books on November 24th 2008
Genres: History, Military, World War I, World War II
Pages: 352
Len's Summary: By the author of Battles East.
Digging the Trenches: The Archaeology of the Western Front
Digging the Trenches: The Archaeology of the Western Front by Andrew Robertshaw, David Kenyon ISBN: 1473822882
Published by Pen & Sword Books on August 19th 2014
Genres: History, Military, World War I
Pages: 208
Len's Summary: A survey of archeological exploration of the Western Front.
Postcards from the Trenches: Images from the First World War
Postcards from the Trenches: Images from the First World War by Bodleian Library ISBN: 1851243917
Published by Bodleian Library on June 15th 2008
Genres: History, Military, World War I, Photography
Pages: 112
Len's Summary: A collection of post cards from the WWI era. A separate volume from Oxford has postcards from the Russian Revolution.
Other Anzacs: Nurses at War, 1914-1918
Other Anzacs: Nurses at War, 1914-1918 by Peter Rees ISBN: 1741755492
Published by Allen & Unwin on September 1st 2008
Genres: History, Australia & New Zealand, Military, World War I, Social Science, Women's Studies
Pages: 363
Len's Summary: Based on the diaries and letters of those who served, as well as official papers and records.
German Amateur Photographers in the First World War: A View from the Trenches on the Western Front
German Amateur Photographers in the First World War: A View from the Trenches on the Western Front by Sebastian Remus ISBN: 9780764330933
Published by Schiffer Military History on October 28th 2008
Pages: 256
Len's Summary: Focuses on the everyday violence of the Western Front through the lenses of soldiers.
The World on Fire: 1919 and the Battle with Bolshevism
The World on Fire: 1919 and the Battle with Bolshevism by Anthony Read ISBN: 9780393061246
on March 17th 2008
Genres: History, Europe, Russia & the Former Soviet Union, Modern, 20th Century, Political Science, Political Ideologies
Pages: 379
Len's Summary: International alarm over terrorism is nothing new. Read examines the “Reds under the bed” scare of 1918-1920 that threatened free speech in North America and Western Europe in the wake of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, the abortive Marxist uprisings in Germany, labor unrest in the UK and terror bombings in America. As with the current al-Qeada menace, liberal democratic governments of this era often overreacted to a shadowy and inchoate Red Menace.
Jews in the Russian Army, 1827-1917: Drafted into Modernity
Jews in the Russian Army, 1827-1917: Drafted into Modernity by Yohanan Petrovsky-Shtern ISBN: 0521515734
Published by Cambridge University Press on October 1st 2008
Genres: History, General, Europe, Eastern, Military, Social Science, Jewish Studies, Technology & Engineering, Military Science
Pages: 326
Len's Summary: The military experience of one and a half million Jews, communal responses to conscription, efforts at conversion, alleged draft evasion and Jewish military performance.
Sniping in the Great War
Sniping in the Great War by Martin Pegler ISBN: 1844157555
on 2008
Genres: History, Military, World War I
Pages: 224
Len's Summary: Development of the practice of sniping from 1914 on the Western and other fronts; training, field craft and counter-sniping methods described in detail.
Pals on the Somme, 1916
Pals on the Somme, 1916 by Roni Wilkinson ISBN: 1844157652
Published by Pen & Sword Books on June 1st 2008
Genres: History, Military, World War I
Pages: 224
Len's Summary: History of creation the British Pals Battalions made up of men from the same town or craft. // Looks at the participation of the Pals battalions which fought on the Somme in 1916 and how the Pals phenomenon was born.
The German Offensives of 1918: The Last Desperate Gamble
The German Offensives of 1918: The Last Desperate Gamble by Ian Passingham ISBN: 1844156362
on September 1st 2008
Genres: History, Military, World War I, Germany
Pages: 208
Len's Summary: Another assessment of German doctrine, military thinking and the effectiveness of storm troop tactics, and how the poor state of military morale and civilian unrest contributed to defeat.
The Late Victorian Navy: The Pre-Dreadnought Era and the Origins of the First World War
The Late Victorian Navy: The Pre-Dreadnought Era and the Origins of the First World War by Roger Parkinson ISBN: 1843833727
Published by Boydell Press on June 19th 2008
Genres: History, Military, General, Great Britain
Pages: 323
Len's Summary: Reappraisal of the late Victorian Navy and the emergence of crucial new technology defined by steel and electricity.
President’s Quarterly Update—April 2024
Dear Members and Friends,
I’m extremely pleased with the level of WW1HA’s activities, some of which may be unseen by you.
Our Journal, “World War One Illustrated,” is now published three times a year with an average length of 48 pages. Each issue is filled with high-quality articles covering a variety of topics, including the popular “My Kin in the Great War” series.
Our electronic newsletter, “Here and There with the WW1HA” is published monthly, with an assortment of Association events and articles covering WW1 topics.
Sal Compagno’s San Francisco Bay Area Chapter continues to hold monthly meetings via Zoom, while Mark Benbow’s Eastern Chapter is holding quarterly meetings.
As President, I am also hosting a quarterly “Fireside Chat” online. The last one emphasized WW1 poetry. The next one will emphasize WW1-era music.
If you’re already a member, I thank you for your membership and encourage you to take part in these activities. If you’re not a member, I ask you to join and participate in these activities. Participate in the events and consider submitting an article for the journal or newsletter.
Reach out to me with your comments: lavarennes@meuse-argonne.com.
Regards,
Randy Gaulke
