As title, I would like to learn more about World War 1, some kind of single volume history covering what happened across the conflict rather than really in depth to one area / person.

What’s good?

I would thoroughly recommend Dan Carlin’s excellent 6 part podcast series Blueprint For Armageddon. He references a load of work I think most of which are linked on the podcast pages for each episode

I could quite happily listen to the full 18 hours or so in one go. Properly gripping.

Also check out the podcast with Peter Hart, the IWM ww1 historian. Basically anything written by him seems to be awesome. 1918 by him is a good start (yes I know it’s the arse end of the war, it’s good staring point to work back from)

I’d heartily recommend a trip to the Somme and Verdun once the reading is done. I remember vividly my school trip there at 15 years old – properly haunting.

The Somme by Peter Hart is a great book but just focusses on that part of the war.

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks is a novel but gives an amazing insight into what went on (again the Somme).

Catastrophe by Max Hastings covers the early stages which don’t always conform to the trench stalemate that most people think is synonymous with WW1. A very interesting read.

It also reports the moral cowardice of people like Von Moltke who loved all the belligerent posturing but then constantly depended on the sycophancy of subordinates for reassurance.

There are so many different perspectives. I’ve read loads and still keep coming back to it. The reasons for war and the outcomes of the carnage that followed have been covered in many different books.

If I had to choose one – and it’s not a chronology – it would be Tommy by Richard Holmes. Superbly researched and heartbreaking and inspiring on almost every page.

Slightly different, but giving a fascinating perspective on the region just after the hostilities ended, is ‘Riding The Zone Rouge’, about the first cycle race to take place through large parts of the former battlefields. Quite eye-opening.

I found this an interesting read. Certainly a different opinion.

My introduction to the history of the Great War was Martin Middlebrook’s First Day of the Somme. I was given it for my birthday in 1984 and was happily following the guided tour in the back when I bumped in to Martin Middlebrook himself at the Thiepval memorial. We had a brief chat and he signed ‘happy birthday’ in my book and we went our separate ways. I’ve revisited the Somme many times since and read a lot of books, but always return to that one.

Oh, and that Corrigan book’s an interesting read. He’s a ‘revisionist’ historian, so it pays to have read a few of the staples first, just for balance. Also try John Terraine, he wrote lots, including some of the episodes of the BBC series, his ‘White Heat’ is another of my favourites.
Lynn MacDonald, like Martin Middlebrook used Great War veteran’s testimonies to bring the battles to life. They’re all long gone now of course.

Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves. Brilliant.

Thanks all, some interesting looking books in there.
As someone with almost no knowledgeable beyond the stereotypes (trenches, mud, allied victory) I guess I am looking for the staples that Watty referred to to start by getting a ‘factual’ or more chronological account to get the basics established in my head.

Just to add, theres a fantastic channel on YT called The Great War, they did week by week broadcasts on what was happening 100 years before from 2014 to 2018. Interestingly, they’ve carried on into 1919, which is a real eye opener,laying the ground for WW2 and the rise of the ism’s.

For a different take, check out The War That Ended Peace. It covers events leading up the Ferdinand’s assassination from the turn of the century. Apparently highly regarded. Have it in my Audible library ready to roll soon.

The Somme as mentioned above or The Last Fighting Tommy, Harry Patch

+ Somme Mud by EPF Lynch (the experiences of an infantryman)

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks is amazing.

tiim, ‘Catastrophe’ is actually a really good shout, start with that for some background.
I’ve got a spare copy of Lynn MacDonald’s ‘Somme’ if you’d like it, drop me a pm.

I read a book many years ago called “With a Machine Gun to Cambrai” One of the few memoirs of WW1 written by a private soldier. The interesting thing is that the author was involved in the development of tank warfare, Cambrai being the first battle that saw the use of tanks on a large scale and broke the stalemate of trench warfare.

Jeremy Paxman’s ‘Great Britain’s Great War’ is a cracking read.

As said, Harry Patch plus a book I read about the animals in WW1. can’t remember what it was called now but it was incredible reading.
Edit: Tommy’s Ark.

Not a fan of Birdsong, but each to their own.

For a (not too long) general history “1914-1918: The History of the First World War” by David Stevensen is pretty good:

For more specific bits of the war, I’ve enjoyed:

“Hundred Days” by Nick Lloyd, about the very end of the war and the Allied offensive that finally defeated the Germans

“Bloody April: Slaughter in the Skies over Arras, 1917” by Peter Hart, the darkest days for Allied airmen.

“The Guns of August” by Barbara Tuchman, how Great Britain got into the war

“The Unreturning Army” by Huntly Gordon, one man’s journey from eager volunteer in 1916 to veteran in 1918.

One I can recommend is Her Privates We by Frederic Manning, a first person account originally published in 1929, and republished uncensored a few years ago.

Not a fan of Birdsong, but each to their own.

As a historian then maybe not, but to understand what went on told dramatically then I don’t know what could be better. After reading that book I have gone on to read so many historical books from all perspectives – and all because of how that book made me feel and want to understand. Currently just about to start a three book epic about the Third Reich .

As a historian then maybe not, but to understand what went on told dramatically then I don’t know what could be better.

I’m certainly not a historian, and TBH I can’t remember much about the book or why I particularly disliked it… I just remember it was a drag with a dreary romantic subplot and I was glad when I finally finished the thing. Still, I appreciate lots of people love the book, even if I don’t share their opinion 🙂

It wasn’t a romantic sub-plot, it was pretty central to the book! Perhaps you should try reading it again.

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<div data-attrid=”subtitle”>Fascinating read that covers the impact of the war.</div>

Sagittarius Rising by Cecil Lewis is a classic and highly readable WW1 aviation memoir.

It wasn’t a romantic sub-plot, it was pretty central to the book! Perhaps you should try reading it again.

Told you I didn’t remember much of it 🙂 Don’t think I’ll bother, got lots of other books to be reading first!

“The Unreturning Army” by Huntly Gordon, one man’s journey from eager volunteer in 1916 to veteran in 1918.

I read this very recently too – a very good read and he was an amazingly fortunate man with so many very close shaves.

Thanks All,

Some interesting recommendations, currently working my way into:

For a (not too long) general history “1914-1918: The History of the First World War” by David Stevensen is pretty good:

This turned out to essentially be what I was hoping for, so thank you.

While I would recommend the Dan Carlin podcast series as a great listen, it’s not a “history” in the trad sense. It’s more “these are the interesting characters and what they did and why they did what they did”  spoken drama (if that makes any sense)

He’s not a historian , just a great storyteller

This turned out to essentially be what I was hoping for, so thank you.

Do I get a prize? 🙂

Was there a thread on the forum about the film 1917? And if not, what did people think of it?

The First World War by Hew Strachan (2003) is a good alternative read.

It tries to move beyond what we all (in Britain) think we know about WW1

Do I get a prize? 🙂

A slightly crumpled copy of the book in three months time!

A slightly crumpled copy of the book in three months time!

I’ve already got my own copy!

I have just finished The Invisible Cross – a very interesting boook about one man’s time in the trenches as retold by publishing his almost daily letters to his wife. There are no letters from her (he burned them all after he read them so no-one else could ever get to read them). It was quite absorbing.

I am 100 pages into With Our Backs to the Wall – very tough going at times as it is very much a fact-based account of the last months of the war but at the same time I am finding out some very interesting facts, especially around how the Allies went from the brink of losing the war in May 1918 to being in almost absolute control by June.

Try All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Ramarque for a German perspective of WW1. There is also a very good film which was made in 1930 so it is not tainted by post WW2 views.
I would also highly recommend Into The Silence (The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest) by Wade Davis. As the title suggests it is about the attempted climbing of Everest in the 1920’s, but there is a lot of background on the war experience’s of all those who took part in the expeditions culminating in the “did they, didn’t they” get to the summit of Mallory and Irving in 1924. A hefty tome, but well worth the effort as it also gives a huge amount of commentary on Britain and it’s empire before the break up after WW2.

Try All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Ramarque for a German perspective of WW1.

Although that is a novel, not an historical account (although the writer was an active soldier in WW1).