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Books on the French Experience

2K views 25 replies 8 participants last post by  Nick 
#1 ·
Hello everyone -

I'm wanting to read a few more works dealing with the French experience during the war. Autobiographical accounts are preferred but will look into anything suggested.

Right now I'm reading "Poilu" by Louis Barthas and have already read "Fear" by Gabriel Chevallier. Up next is "Under Fire" by Henri Barbusse; after that depends on what's suggested.

Any suggestions for non-autobiographical books on the French soldier on the Western Front as well? More along the experience end, not just technical and organizational.

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
If you are reading it in English, 'Neath Verdun by Maurice Genevoix should be a good one. The French version is Ceux de 14. I have not read the English translation, but the French version is very good, so it might be worth a try in English. I think it is available on line, for free.

It concerns the first months of the war, not the battle of Verdun in 1916. Maurice Genevoix was badly wounded in 1914, and did not make the well known battle of Verdun, though he did live to be 90.
 
#3 ·
The Battlefield Guide - Verdun 1916 by William F Buckingham by Tempus Publishing, Stroud, UK is quite comprehensive and I found informative, particularly about the progress of the battle.
Also,Paths of Glory, the French Army 1914-18 by Anthony Clayton, orionbooks.co.uk and finally Pour la France by Michael Cox and Graham Watson, Helion & Company, is a guide to the formations and units of the land forces of France 1914-18. Happy reading.
 
#6 ·
Hello Correus,

IMHO "Under Fire" by Henri Barbusse is a must read in English since its one of the few personal memoirs from a "Poilu" serving in the French Army that has been translated.

Aside from any other "eye-witness" French memoirs, my own favorite read is "The Price of Glory" by Alistair Horne. It is hands down my favorite book in English that covers the Battle of Verdun in depth. I have read and reread it more than a dozen times over the years.

Best of luck to you and based on your recent post, it appears to me that you are already infected beyond all hope! You are obviously one of the most recent victims of the Great War.

Best of luck to you!

Warmest regards,

JPS
 
#10 ·
I'm really looking forward to reading 'Under Fire'. I've actually had my copy for several years but when I first attempted to read it I had a hard time getting into it and just set it aside. I'm hoping that's not the case this next time because the reviews are so good.

Horne's book is also on my list, I have a deep interest in Verdun.

LOL been "infected" since I was 8. The French version of it has been smoldering for a few years now and the two rifles have ignited it.

It is just so odd to me that there is such a dearth of information out there on the U.K. version of the war, followed by U.S. and German yet not a lot - at least in English - on the French version. It just doesn't make sense to me since the brunt of the Allies on the Western Front were French! It was really driven home a couple years ago when I was looking at a map of the Western Front and the division of sectors. I had seen this map for decades yet for some reason it just hit me back then - only a small percentage of these sectors were manned by the U.K. and even less by the U.S. - the vast majority were French!! That's when I decided this wrong (lack of knowledge), for me anyway, needed to be corrected and I decided to concentrate more on the French.

To me, based on all the info out there, it almost appears as if the U.K. thinks they were fighting the Hun alone and then the U.S. swoops in to save the day!! WHAT ABOUT THE FRENCH!?!? So yes, the French strain of the infection has set in.

Like I said I got bit by the bug when I was 8. I was out in our back yard digging in the dirt and uncovered the medallion section of a U.S. Victory Medal. At first I thought I'd found pirate treasure, but then I was told to go ask a certain little old man that lived down the street about it. And as they say "the rest is history". At the time I mainly concentrated on the U.S. involvement, and then got hooked on the Germans. I periodically dabbled with the U.K. but never really looked at the French. The time has come to change that.

I would really like to get the French story out there when I do my display. I wasn't too surprised when people said they had no idea WWI took place (yet they knew about WWII - dumb a**es). What really sort of jolted me though were those who knew about WWI but didn't know France participated. That's when I knew I needed to learn more and attempt to display more.
 
#7 ·
Under Fire" by Henri Barbusse ... I have a first edition book that was printed in 1917, it has more in it than the latest editions have ... I can send it to you with the other stuff if you want to borrow it to read.

Patrick
 
#11 ·
Thanks Patrick, I'd love to take a look at it.

While looking up some addition info on the book I ran across a 1st edition for sale. The seller claims that it's in virtually mint condition save a little shelf wear on the top of the spine (from pulling it off the shelf) and the bottom front tips on the outer covers (due to pushing it back into place). I enjoy collecting 1st editions, or as close to as possible, of these types of books. Seeing yours first might help make up my mind!! I'll even wear the cotton gloves I use when working at the museum.
 
#8 ·
As an aside, Alistair Horne's book The Fall of Paris, the Siege and the Commune 1870-71 sets the scene for what lead to the events 43 years later. Revanche was alive and widespread in the aftermath, but as in 1870-71 didn't go as anticipated.
I find personal reminiscences do need to be treated with caution, unless written at the time and often are too focused to give the wider view. Still they are a useful primary source, subject to those limitations.
 
#9 ·
Couple more books on my shelves:
"Flying in Flanders" by Willy Coppens (who was Belgian: an Air Combat Classic)
"Ace of Aces" by Rene Fonck (another Air Combat Classic)
"Comrades-in Arms: the WWI Memoir of Captain Henri De Lecluse, Count of Trevoedal
"Memoirs of War 1914-15" Marc Bloch
"A Crusader of France: Letters of Captain F. Belmont 2 Aug 1914-28 Dec 1915" (this is an older book)
Some political stuff:
"Charles Peguy: Decline of an Idealist" by H. A. Schmitt
"In the Wake of War" by Antoine Prost
"The French Home front 1914-1918", P. Fridenson, ED
"Clemenceau & the 3rd Republic" J. H. Jackson
Like many of your other readers, I have found much more British and American books than translations from German, Italian, French or Russian, let alone Serbian, Romanian, Greek, etc. But I keep looking.
 
#13 ·
That's life Correus. Here in OZ there is no balance also, forget the Dardanelles no one else was there, French, Indians, or Gurkha, etc., with a passing reference to NZ, despite ANZAC!!.
The casualty figures speak for themselves, particularly the first two years of the conflict. Regrettably, the Yankee's, except for some notable individuals, were happy profiteering, trading with all sides until belatedly coming into the fray.
 
#14 ·
Sad isn't It?

It's not just in regard to media items either. Take militaria - it's easy to find Brit and U.S. as well as German (if you are willing to pay) but try to find French items or even ANZAC specific... then again, I could just be looking in the wrong places.
 
#15 ·
#18 ·
#17 ·
The 151 RIL is two units ... one belongs to the Great War Association and the other is the Great War Historical Society to which I belong too.
I will be going back east next year to participate with them in an event with others in big reenactment.
I will also be going to France in November of 2018 for the 100th Anniv. of the end of the war, marching alongside with fellow reenactors in the Victory Parade on November 11th in Paris, then I will head to Châtellerault, Saint Étienne and Tulle to hit the archives there. I plan on being in France three to four weeks.


Patrick
 
#19 ·
Perhaps SWMBO and I will see you there. We started talking about the possibility of going a couple years ago.

That's one of our biggest regrets, right after we got married we were offered positions within a Hotel/Tourism business, owned by family friends, in Algrange Lorraine. We turned it down. The couple have niw retired and have moved back the the U.S. The couple they turned the business over to are the ones who had the positions we were offered.
 
#20 ·
Dear Correus, you really have set yourself a task in inviting us all to suggest reading on the topic of the French in WWI.
It is with some hesitation the following suggestions are made in proposing you widen your horizon to take in:

The Long Silence by Helen McPhail, ibtauris.com which deals with the occupation of the north of France. How it was systematically stripped, the population maltreated, starved and conscripted as forced labour. It is little wonder that the German trenches were so substantial and very much home from home. It deals with the Commission for Relief in Belgium which provided supplies to alleviate starvation, later extended to northern France due to the prodding of the French Government by Herbert Hoover, who was extremely active in setting up this programme of relief.

The other is Cataclysm by David Stevenson, basicbooks.com, which bursts the bubble the General were in charge. It is a book of some 564 pages, in which it clearly shows the politicians deliberately took risks that eventuated in WWI and remained very much in control during the war. All aspect are covered including press censorship, expressions of mass grief to advances in military technology. If you wish to know why certain events took a particular turn, of conflicting views and demands, this book gives the behind the scenes explanations. It maybe the General were the meat in the sandwich between what priorities the Politicians determined and were willing to provide and the Public expectation (fostered by the politicians) of how the war should progress.

You have embarked on a Herculean task!!!
 
#22 ·
#24 ·
I got the French documentary they show at museum at Verdun, it is not on youtube

Patrick
 
#26 ·
It's working for me, just checked it.
 
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