Yet another in along series of attempts to Redress Apalling Gaps in Podkayne’s Education. . .
Can anyone recommend a good book about World War I? Remember, Podkayne has the Attention Span of a Gnat, so if it’s non-fiction, it had better be pretty snappy, and historical fiction or classic literature or a memoir is probably best. There isn’t going to be a pop quiz or anything, just trying to do a little research for an RPG, and I want a little more depth of background than I currently have. Cryptonomicon did wonders for my knoweldge of, and interest in, the events of WWII, so I’m hoping that there’s a good book out there to give me a similar kick in the pants for WWI.
I am particularly interested in the effects of the war on Eastern Europe.
“All Quiet On The Western Front” by Erich M. Remarque follows the WW1 experience of a young German soldier. This book was banned and burned by the Nazis in the pre-WW2 years.
You shouldn’t be bothered with attention span; this one will hold your attention. Enjoy.
PBS had a documentary series entitled (IIRC) The Great War. Not a great series, but a good one at least. Perhaps video would be suited to your short attention span.
i seem to recall a real nice website about the “Great War” at pbs.org.
if you have a real short attention span, but want some good stuff, try this: find an old copy of a flight simulator software called “Red Baron”. it came with a book that gave the basics, with lots of nice pictures and exciting storys and excerpts from memiors. No chapter more than a page or two, and should make quick, fun reading.
or, charlie brown comics, the ones where snoopy thinks he is a flying officer!
A Short History of World War I by James L. Stokesbury. Pros: short, interesting, easy to read. Cons: focuses mainly on military aspects, less on political and social aspects.
The World War One Source Book by Philip J. Haythornthwaite. Pros: Short chapters on specific topics of the war, so you can pick and choose; lots of pictures. Cons: can be difficult to read at times.
I’d also recommend Nicholas and Alexandra and Dreadnought, by Robert Massie. They both involve a lot of buildup and causes to the war, and Nicholas and Alexandra would be very relevant to the war in the east.
Getting beyond the Boom-Booms, I highly recommend Paul Fussell’s 1975 The Great War and Modern Memory, which not only covers the War but looks into its effects on society and art and literature. Fascinating reading, and it won a boatload of awards.
Oh, I nearly forgot Vera Brittain’s memoirs, Testament of Youth. She was a nurse in the war, and this gives a wonderful woman’s point of view. It was published in the 1930s, but has been reissued several times since then and shouldn’t he hard to find. Don’t confuse it with her other two vols. of memoirs, though!
You also should read Alaistair Horne’s The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916. Though it’s only about one battle (though “only a battle” hardly applies to Verdun), it’s a fascinating account, and does give a great deal of background on the war.
