# Best Books on WWI



## Hamalas (Dec 24, 2013)

Seeing that next year is the centenary of the First World War, I was thinking I might try to spend some focused time in the coming year to dip into the rich history of this time period. I love history, but have always been more drawn to WWII rather than WWI and there is a lot about the Great War which I do not know. I'm looking for recommendations on good books (primarily historical books, but if there novels, plays, etc... that would be helpful I'm open to that as well). Here are some of the recommendations I've found on-line so far:

*History:*
1) _The First World War_ by John Keegan

2) _The First World War_ by Martin Gilbert

3) _The First World War_ by Gerard J. De Groot 

4) _The Guns of August_ by Barbara Tuchman

*Non-Historical Works:*

1) _Le Grand Meaulnes_ (The Lost Estate) by Henri Alain-Fournier

Any other suggestions or comments on these books? I'd also love to get any movie recommendations as well (I've seen _Sergeant York_ with Gary Cooper but not a lot else set in World War I).


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## Philip (Dec 24, 2013)

*Primary Sources:*

_All Quiet on the Western Front_ by Erich Maria Remarque (a novel, but written by a veteran)
_The World Crisis_ (if you can find it) by Winston Churchill
_Seven Pillars of Wisdom_ by T.E. Lawrence


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## Guido's Brother (Dec 24, 2013)

By far the best book I've read on WWI is Vimy, by Pierre Berton. A compelling account of the battle for Vimy Ridge.


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## Edward (Dec 24, 2013)

There are a number of out of print books now in the public domain that can be downloaded from Project Gutenberg that show the small picture perspective. World War I (Bookshelf) - Gutenberg


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## Peairtach (Dec 24, 2013)

The First World War: Hew Strachan: 9780143035183: Amazon.com: Books

Amazon.com: The First World War - The Complete Series: Jonathan Lewis, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Andrée Bernard, King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, Erich Ludendorff, Queen Marie of Rumania, Jan Smuts, Arthur Ransome, David Lloyd George, Douglas Haig, Edward

Amazon.com: Mud, Blood and Poppycock: Britain and the Great War (Cassel Military) eBook: Gordon Corrigan: Books


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## SolaSaint (Dec 24, 2013)

Ben, this is probably a good project to start since we all know the History Channel will soon begin bombarding us with all sorts of distortions about WWI. It would be good to know the truth before being subjected to myths and assumptions. Or am I distorting the History Channel? Maybe they just make up stuff when they air Christian documentaries.


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## Fly Caster (Dec 24, 2013)

I've read a good bit of this and found it interesting...

The War for Righteousness: Progressive Christianity, the Great War, and the Rise of the Messianic Nation: Richard M. Gamble: 9781932236163: Amazon.com: Books


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## Hamalas (Dec 24, 2013)

SolaSaint said:


> Ben, this is probably a good project to start since we all know the History Channel will soon begin bombarding us with all sorts of distortions about WWI. It would be good to know the truth before being subjected to myths and assumptions. Or am I distorting the History Channel? Maybe they just make up stuff when they air Christian documentaries.



No exaggeration. This pretty much sums up my view of the "History" Channel:


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## Wayne (Dec 24, 2013)

To augment that study, there is a volume, the title escapes me at the moment, that covers those Reformed Presbyterian men who died in WWI.

That book, if you can locate it, might make for an interesting aside in your study.

Perhaps someone else can chime in with the author and title, in which case the book might even be available on archive.org or elsewhere.


EDIT: Found it!: _Soldiers of the Church_, by John W. Pritchard (1919):

https://archive.org/details/soldiersofchurch00prit


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