First World War book reviews by academics, amateur historians, Western Front Association members and keen readers.
![Nobody of any importance: a Foot Soldier’s Memoir of World War I](/media/3798/importance-book-review.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=360&rnd=133355192997700000)
Nobody of any importance: a Foot Soldier’s...
Reviewed by Michael Lucas. Nobody of any Importance is a lengthy and detailed account, written from memory, in the 19...
Read More![A Soldier of the 6th Division, incorporating Recollections of the Machine Gun Corps & Following My Father’s Footsteps](/media/3797/6th-division-book-cover.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=360&rnd=133355192997570000)
A Soldier of the 6th Division, incorporati...
Reviewed by Michael Lucas. A Soldier of the 6th Division includes an account, written from memory in 1976, by Thomas...
Read More![I Embarked for France: The War Diaries and letters of an English family in the Great War: Evelyn Ansell, 19th King’s Liverpool Regiment](/media/3796/evelyn-ansell-book-cover.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=360&rnd=133355192997570000)
I Embarked for France: The War Diaries and...
Reviewed by Linda Parker. Although this narrative of a family’s journey and the mixed fortunes of war is focused on E...
Read More![The Brothers Two: The War Letters of William & Bright Fraser](/media/3795/two-brothers-book-cover.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=360&rnd=133355192997400000)
The Brothers Two: The War Letters of Willi...
Reviewed by Phil Curme. The letters of Private Bright Fraser, Artists Rifles, and his brother Signalman William Frase...
Read More![Best Love to All: The letters and diaries of Captain Eric-Rigby Jones, MC and Bar and his Experiences as a Young Officer with the Liverpool Pals on the Western Front in 1917 and 1918](/media/3794/rigby-jones-book-cover.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=360&rnd=133355192997400000)
Best Love to All: The letters and diaries...
Reviewed by Phil Curme. The soldier’s experience during the First World War is far from neglected. The number of biog...
Read More![Betrayed Ally: China in the Great War by Frances Wood and Christopher Arnander](/media/3793/betrayed-ally-book-cover.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=360&rnd=133355192997230000)
Betrayed Ally: China in the Great War by F...
Reviewed by Phil Curme. Although Chinese labourers were active on the Western Front throughout WW1 - and afterwards -...
Read More![The Three Emperors: Three Cousins, Three Empires and the road to World War One by Miranda Carter](/media/23835/three-emperors.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=360&rnd=132709687338630000)
The Three Emperors: Three Cousins, Three E...
Penguin Books, 2010, £10.99 (2010 pricing) 498pp, soft covers; illustrated plus notes, bibliography and index. Also a...
Read More![The Emperors: How Europe’s Rulers were destroyed by The First World War by Gareth Russell](/media/3791/emperors-book-cover.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=360&rnd=133355192997100000)
The Emperors: How Europe’s Rulers were des...
Reviewed by Barbara Taylor. To understand how and why the First World War started it essential to understand how the...
Read More![Britain’s Quest for Oil, The First World War and the Peace Conferences](/media/3790/oil-book-cover.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=360&rnd=133355192996930000)
Britain’s Quest for Oil, The First World W...
Reviewed by Chris Robinson. Britain’s Quest for Oil, charts the awakening and development of Britain’s military, dipl...
Read More![The Siege of Tsingtao: The German-Japanese War 1914](/media/3789/tsingtau-book-cover.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=360&rnd=133355192996770000)
The Siege of Tsingtao: The German-Japanese...
Reviewed by Phil Curme. Tsingtao beer is ubiquitous in Chinese restaurants in the UK and throughout world. However, i...
Read More![Stoker’s Submarine; Australia’s Daring Raid on the Dardanelles on the Day of the Gallipoli Landing](/media/3787/stokers-sub-book-cover.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=360&rnd=133355192996630000)
Stoker’s Submarine; Australia’s Daring Rai...
Reviewed by Robin Broadhurst. Most naval historians know that the first two submarines through the Dardanelles were c...
Read More![When the Navy Took to the Air: The Experimental Seaplane Stations of the Royal Naval Air Service](/media/3786/navy-to-air-book-cover-ii.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=360&rnd=133355192996470000)
When the Navy Took to the Air: The Experim...
Reviewed by Niall Ferguson. Those hoping to read of the exploits of the RNAS on the Western Front will be disappointe...
Read More