# Books/films on World War One **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974 "2012-03-27T20:06:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Imago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@Imago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imago)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/41 "2012-03-30T15:10:36Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > May be able to help a bit more if you indicate some leaning- such as if you would prefer to read about the British Forces, the Navy, or whatever. There is a lot of stuff out there. Some is very good. As of right now: preference for fiction over nonfiction (having gotten a lot more nonfiction recommendations than fiction so far), with British, American, Canadian forces, trench warfare over other types, focusing on individuals rather than large-scale, and on life after the war if possible. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/42 "2012-04-01T04:12:21Z")
I like **Deathwatch** quite a lot, but be forewarned that it’s a horror movie. ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/43 "2012-04-01T07:22:48Z")
John Dos Passos: _Three Soldiers_ (1920) for fiction Capt. B. H. Liddell Hart: _The Real War_ (1930) for non-fiction Definitely second Graves. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/44 "2012-04-01T23:32:59Z")
> [@Imago](#): > > As of right now: preference for fiction over nonfiction (having gotten a lot more nonfiction recommendations than fiction so far), with British, American, Canadian forces, trench warfare over other types, focusing on individuals rather than large-scale, and on life after the war if possible. I second a lot of what’s already been recommended, especially _Storm of Steel, Paths of Glory_ and _The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916_ . For a fictional take on the Gallipoli campaign from the Turkish perspective (and a whole lot more) try Louis de Bernieres [_Birds Without Wings_](http://www.amazon.com/Birds-Without-Wings-Louis-Bernieres/dp/1400079322/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333322931&sr=8-1). It ticks nearly all your boxes above, except the British, American or Canadian forces part. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/45 "2012-04-01T23:49:17Z")
To the extent that the Marx Brothers’ **Duck Soup** satirized an actual war, it was WWI. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/46 "2012-04-02T01:15:46Z")
> [@well\_he\_s\_back](#): > > yes, you have probably come across it - but you have seen “Paths of Glory”? I keep recommending it to the high school teachers & kids, but so far no takers. I think it is falling into obscurity, unless you are a film buff. which is tragic. Excellent movie. I came into the thread to recommend it. It does come on AMC and the Military Channel on occasion, so it’s not totally obscure. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/47 "2012-04-02T01:16:01Z")
Joyeux Noel is a movie about the Christmas Truce. Excellent piping. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/48 "2012-04-02T03:27:11Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Joyeux Noel is a movie about the Christmas Truce. Excellent piping. That’s the one I was going to say! That and Oh What A Lovely War. I love that one, too. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/49 "2012-04-02T03:38:51Z")
An unusual French movie : [_Noir et Blanc en couleurs_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074972/) (Black and white in colour) about WWI in the French African colonies. Also, [_Passschendaele_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1092082/). About the battle in Flanders, and [_The red baron_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365675/), [_Hell’s angels_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020960/) and [_Flyboys_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454824/) about the airwar. ---
**Author:** ![Imago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@Imago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imago)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/50 "2012-04-03T00:09:14Z")
Seen Passchendaele a long time ago. Definitely checking the rest out. Currently waiting for _Birds Without Wings_ to ship in. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/51 "2012-04-03T16:22:25Z")
I really enjoyed _The Great War and Modern Memory_ by Paul Fussell. Some history, some discussion of how it changed our culture, lots of discussion of war poets and poetry. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/52 "2012-04-03T17:55:14Z")
I’m certain this is NOT what you are looking for, but “Johnny Got His Gun,” both the book by Dalton Trumbo and the movie from the early 1970’s is amazing, and should at least be mentioned here. It’s more of a political anti-war work, but it is about WWI ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/53 "2012-04-03T18:01:25Z")
Fussell was really rough on e e cummings’ “The Enormous Room,” thinking it pretentiously naif. Given the terror and bullshit Fussell himself faced as a young man in war, that may be a valid complaint. But many young people do go through horrible experiences with mostly wide-eyed wonderment. Because they are young and stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Wincerind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@Wincerind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wincerind)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/54 "2012-04-03T18:08:10Z")
All of Lyn Macdonalds books give excellent first hand accounts of WW I battles. Very moving at times. ---
**Author:** ![Hogfather65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7bcc69/32.png) [@Hogfather65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hogfather65)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/55 "2012-04-03T18:30:46Z")
Some movies about WW1 I have and they are good ones [DeathWatch](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286306/) [Beneath Hill 60](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1418646/) [Passchendaele](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1092082/) [The Lost Battalion](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0287535/) [Company K](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372828/) Full list on IMDB [Great WWI movies](http://www.imdb.com/list/qRvk7trfzh4/) As for books Forgotten Voices Of The Great War ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/56 "2012-04-03T18:38:57Z")
According to who you talk to, [The Pity of War](http://www.amazon.com/The-Pity-Of-War-Explaining/dp/0465057128) by Niall Ferguson is either a dull and terribly misguided screed which wrongly claims that WWI was entirely England’s fault, or a much-needed challenge to traditional historiographic orthodoxy regarding the Great War. I know Professor Ferguson too well to take sides. ---
**Author:** ![Imago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@Imago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imago)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/57 "2012-04-04T18:25:47Z")
Aie, now that’s something I’ll definitely have to read. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/58 "2012-04-04T18:42:01Z")
_[Goodbye to All That](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good-Bye_to_All_That)_, by Robert Graves. Makes you want to laugh out loud while you are vomiting. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/59 "2012-04-04T18:59:58Z")
> [@Imago](#): > > Aie, now that’s something I’ll definitely have to read. Everything bad in the world since Cromwell has been England’s fault, according to my Irish dad. He’s dead now, and that was probably England’s fault too. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974/60 "2012-04-04T19:15:11Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > [A World Undone](http://www.amazon.com/World-Undone-Story-Great-1914/dp/0553382403/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333047221&sr=8-1) is a very good general history of the first world war. Seconded. An excellent book for someone new (if that is the word) to the war, as I was when I read it. I’ve since read Barbara Tuchman’s book — also excellent, though as noted it only covers the first 30 days or so. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-films-on-world-war-one/616974.md?page=4)