Reference Library

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Captain Albert Ball's last dogfight. This Norman G. Arnold watercolor depicts the ace being shot down over Annoeullin, 7-May-1917.


101+ Indispensable Works on The Great War

Contribution

This list was contributed by Michael E. Hanlon, Research Editor of ø Relevance,
the Quarterly Journal of ø The Great War Society.

See Also: List of WWI related E-texts (books) available on the Internet.

* = Core of 12 Introductory Works
I.  GENERAL WORKS

AMERICAN HERITAGE...HISTORY OF WORLD WAR I                   THE SWORDBEARERS
AMERICAN HERITAGE EDITORS/ SLA MARSHALL                     BARNETT, CORRELLI
Excellent on US contribution             Moltke, Petain, Jellicoe, Ludendorff

*THE WORLD CRISIS  [ABRIDGED]                           BEFORE ENDEAVORS FADE
CHURCHILL, SIR WINSTON                                           COOMBS, ROSE
Grand Summary; recently reissued                  Renowned battlefield guide

THE FACE OF BATTLE                                        THE FIRST WORLD WAR
KEEGAN, JOHN                                                    KING, JERE C.
Compares WWI to Waterloo, Agincourt         Enjoyable sampler of WWI writings

THE REAL WAR, 1914-18                   ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE WORLD WARS
LIDDELL HART, SIR BASIL H.                                TAYLOR, A.J.P. (ED)
Opinionated, comprehensive work              Great graphics; excellent essays

*GUNS OF AUGUST, THE                                VOICES FROM THE GREAT WAR
TUCHMAN, BARBARA                                            VANSITTART, PETER
Early stages of the conflict;              Compilation of quotes & commentary
Great work, not for beginners

PENGUIN POETRY OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR          *THE EXPERIENCE OF WORLD WAR I
SILKIN, JON ED.                                                  Winter, J.M.
Includes translations of non-English works      Best introductory work on WWI


II.  CAUSES

THE ROAD TO SARAJEVO                    GERMANY'S AIMS IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR
DEDIJER, VLADIMIR                                              FISCHER, FRITZ
Details on Archduke's assassination            Started Controversy in Germany

ORIGINS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR                           THE FATEFUL ALLIANCE
JOLL, JAMES                                                 KENNAN, GEORGE F.
Best summary of July crisis; covers many theories    Russian-French Agreement

WAR PLANS OF THE GREAT POWERS                                     DREADNOUGHT
KENNEDY, PAUL, ed.                                          MASSIE, ROBERT K.
Schlieffen's strategy & Plan 17                 Battleship race and diplomacy

THE KAISER                                             NICHOLAS AND ALEXANDRA
COWLES, VIRGINIA                                            MASSIE, ROBERT K.
Biography                          Biography of Tsar Nicholas II & the missus

III.  WESTERN FRONT, ITALY AND THE BALKANS

TRENCH WARFARE 1914-18: LIVE AND LET...                           THE DONKEYS
ASHWORTH, T.                                                      CLARK, ALAN
Also covers Christmas Truce                                        Loos, 1915

EYE-DEEP IN HELL: LIFE IN TRENCHES...                         CAPORETTO, 1917
ELLIS, JOHN                                                      FALLS, CYRIL
Experience of trench existence       The battle that nearly knocked-out Italy

THE GENERAL                                               *THE PRICE OF GLORY
FORESTER, C.S.                                                HORNE, ALISTAIR
Fictional "Donkey" General                                       Verdun, 1916

THE SOMME                                            THE SHADOW OF VIMY RIDGE
MACDONALD, LYN                                               MACKSEY, KENNETH
Several other good works by this author             The Artois killing fields

THE FIRST DAY ON THE SOMME /                        THE GARDENERS OF SALONIKA
  THE KAISER'S BATTLE                                            PALMER, A.W.
MIDDLEBROOK, MARTIN                                 Best work on Balkan Front
Somme sector, 1916 / 1918

INFANTRY ATTACKS                            LIAISON 1914 / PRELUDE TO VICTORY
ROMMEL, ERWIN                                                    SPEARS, E.L.
Rommel On several Fronts                  The Aisne/Marne sector in 1914 & 18

TO WIN A WAR - 1918                                      DARE CALL IT TREASON
TERRAINE, JOHN                                                   WATT, EDWARD
One of many fine works by this writer                   French Mutinies, 1917

DEATH'S MEN                                                IN FLANDERS FIELDS
WINTER, DENIS                                                     WOLFF, LEON
Experience of Battle, excellent detail                    Passchendaele, 1917

*TESTAMENT OF YOUTH                                RICHTHOFEN: A TRUE HISTORY
BRITTAIN, VERA                                                BURROWS, WM. E.
Memoir of V.A.D Nurse                       Biography of most famous ace ever

THE GRANDEUR AND MISERY OF VICTORY            SOLDIERS AND STATESMEN  [2 VOL]
CLEMENCEAU, GEORGES                                    ROBERTSON, SIR WILLIAM
Memoir of French Leader                      Memoir of Senior British General

UNDER FIRE - THE STORY OF A SQUAD                           THE ENORMOUS ROOM
BARBUSSE, HENRI                                                CUMMINGS, E.E.
Fictional - Published During War                     Inscrutable prison novel

A FAREWELL TO ARMS                                             IN PARENTHESIS
HEMINGWAY, ERNEST                                                JONES, DAVID
Novel set in Italy; greatest romance                Epic Poem; very difficult

STORM OF STEEL                                           LOSS OF EDEN TRILOGY
JUNGER, ERNST                                                   MASTERS, JOHN
Impressionistic memoir; like Barbusse    Novels; upstairs/downstairs elements

THE SPANISH FARM TRILOGY                      *ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
MOTTRAM, R.H.                                           REMARQUE, ERICH MARIE
Hard to find British gem                              Fictional anti-war work

THE PASSING BELLS                         COMPLETE MEMOIRS OF GEORGE SHERSTON
ROCK, PHILLIP                                              SASSOON, SIEGFRIED
Sort of a one vol. LOSS OF EDEN                              Fictional memoir

IV.  THE EASTERN FRONT, AFRICA, MIDDLE EAST

THE BASTARD WAR; THE MESOPOTAMIAN CAMPAIGN             PEACE TO END ALL PEACE
BARKER, A.J.                                                   FROMKIN, DAVID
This was a very grim area of operations           Middle East borders are set

THE GREAT WAR IN AFRICA 1914 - 18                   WAR OF LOST OPPORTUNITIES
FARWELL, BYRON                                               HOFFMAN, MAX VON
Includes German hero Von Lettow-Vorbeck    Former general focuses on E. Front

*GALLIPOLI                                                         TANNENBERG
JAMES, ROBERT RHODES                                        SHOWALTER, DENNIS
More balanced than same title by Moorehead                Recent reevaluation

THE EASTERN FRONT 1914 - 17                 A SOLDIER'S NOTEBOOK, 1914 - 1918
STONE, NORMAN                                                  BRUSILOV, A.A.
Standard work on E.Front                       Memoir of best Russian general

ATATURK                                               SEVEN PILLARS OF WISDOM
KINROSS, LORD                                                  LAWRENCE, T.E.
Biography of Hero of Gallipoli                Memoir of high literary quality

AN ICE CREAM WAR                                       THE GOOD SOLDIER SVEJK
BOYD, WILLIAM                                                 HASEK, JAROSLAV
Fiction [War in Africa]                               Masterpiece comic novel

AUGUST 1914                                   *THE GERMAN HIGH COMMAND AT WAR
SOLZHENITSYN, ALEXANDER                                        ASPREY, ROBERT
Fiction - Tannenberg on grand scale                Recent work of great merit

V.  AMERICA IN THE GREAT WAR

THE WAR TO END ALL WARS                                            OVER THERE
COFFMAN, EDWARD M.                                             FREIDEL, FRANK
Comprehensive summary of military             Excellent illustrations & text;
 effort from top down              describes effort from Doughboys' viewpoint

AT BELLEAU WOOD                                                *THE DOUGHBOYS
ASPREY, ROBERT                                            STALLINGS, LAURENCE
The Marines famous battle                       Best comprehensive summary of
                                     American military operations & much more

THE ZIMMERMAN TELEGRAM              TREAT 'EM ROUGH - BIRTH OF AMERICAN ARMOR
TUCHMAN, BARBARA                                              WILSON, DALE E.
One element drawing America to war             Recent work by US Army officer

SERGEANT YORK - AN AMERICAN HERO       WOODROW WILSON AND THE PROGRESSIVE ERA
LEE, DAVID                                                       LINK, ARTHUR
Brief but insightful bio of the hero            Prewar diplomacy and politics
                                  
THE LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE                     GEORGE C. MARSHALL:...1880 -1939
MASON, HERBERT M.                                              POGUE, FORREST
Includes info on US Fr. Foreign Legioneers  Marshall was planning whiz of AEF

WHEN THE CHEERING STOPPED                      BLACK JACK:...PERSHING [2 VOL]
SMITH, GENE                                                   VANDIVER, FRANK
Biography - Wilson After Armistice       More readable than Pershing's memoir

THROUGH THE WHEAT                                                   COMPANY K
BOYD, THOMAS                                                CAMPBELL, WILLIAM
Fiction - Shell Shocked Hero                 Fiction - Unit followed thru war

FIX BAYONETS !                                                          SQUAD
THOMASON, JOHN W.                                              WHARTON, JAMES
Fictional work of career Marine             Fiction - Tragic story; authentic
 who served with Marine Brigade in WWI                   feeling and language

VI.  THE NAVAL AND AIR WAR

THE U-BOATS [From Time-Life]                                THE FIRST AIR WAR
BOTTIN, DOUGLAS                                                  KENNETT, LEE
Great illustrations                              Recent, highly praised, work

THE LUSITANIA DISASTER                    JUTLAND: THE CLASH OF TITANS - 1916
BAILY & RYAN                                              COSTELLO AND HUGHES
Most balanced work on this affair          Good diagrams for following fleets

THE GREAT WAR AT SEA, 1914 - 18                  DREADNOUGHT [From Time-Life]
HOUGH, RICHARD                                                 HOWARTH, DAVID
Recent work touches on US contribution              Great photos and diagrams

AIRCRAFT OF WORLD WAR I                           AIR ACES OF THE 1914-18 WAR
MUNSON, K.                                                   ROBERTSON, BRUCE
Read with Robertson for basic data on planes & aviators         - See comment


*KNIGHTS OF THE AIR  [From Time-Life]              FIGHTING THE FLYING CIRCUS
BOWEN, EZRA                                               RICKENBACKER, EDDIE
Best intro to Air War                        Memoir of America's greatest ace

IN THE COMPANY OF EAGLES                                         THE BLUE MAX
GANN, ERNEST                                                  HUNTER, JACK D.
Fiction - French Air Service, 1917          Novel is vastly superior to movie

A WAR STORY / GOSHAWK SQUADRON
ROBINSON, DEREK
Fiction - Authentic RFC tales;
 debunks much silliness


VII.  ARMISTICE, PEACE AND THE RESULTS OF THE WAR

THE PLAGUE OF THE SPANISH LADY...         RED OCTOBER: THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION
COLLIER, RICHARD                                              DANIELS, ROBERT
Influenza Pandemic                    One volume story of Bolshevik take-over

*THE RITES OF SPRING                              GREAT WAR AND MODERN MEMORY
EKSTEINS, MODRIS                                                FUSSELL, PAUL
Cultural causes & impact of the Great War              Literary Impact of War

THE MIDNIGHT WAR                                             PEACEMAKING 1919
GOLDHURST, RICHARD                                           NICOLSON, HAROLD
Interventions in Russia                                     Versailles Treaty

*GOODBYE TO ALL THAT                              THREE WHO MADE A REVOLUTION
GRAVES, ROBERT                                                 WOLFE, BERTRAM
Bitter Memoir of Royal Welch Fusilier       Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin Triple-bio


                          Revised: April 12, 1996

Don't forget to also check the list of fine reference sources that were used to develop trenches.