I've always tended to have a rather-cautious underenthusiasm regarding the British journalist, tv inquisitor and quizmaster
Jeremy Paxman....until this weekend.
A friend has given me a copy of his book
"Great Britain's Great War", which until now I was completely oblivious to (as was I to his authorship skills, beyond column inches in certain broadsheet newspapers).
It is an
outstandingly good, gripping, informative and entertaining history of World War 1.
I thought I knew quite a lot about the war (having had two grandfathers who served in it, and long-departed friends who actually served in it, a long century ago). But I have learnt lots from the book- and I cannot recommend it enough to you.
Plus it has radically altered my opinion of Paxman (which in itself is a deep lesson) - the man is an
utter genius to have written this book. On the strength alone of having read this book, I shall never think the same of him again.
I know there are many forum members who are either historiophiles or specifically-keen on chunks of military history & lore (
@Yithian @EnolaGaia @maximus otter @Frideswide @ramonmercado @Bigphoot2 @stu neville @gordonrutter @Krepostnoi , yes, you probably would
all like this book a lot, if you've not already read it ). Plus: there are so many supranatural/socioillogical aspects associated with that first-ever industrial-scale horror show, that probably burns it forever into our collective psyche....
Please consider reading this book: you won't regret it. But you will regret that WW1 ever happened.
ps notable highlights for me included: Gallipolli - wow. I knew it was bad, but not how comprehensively and incompetently bad. The Easter Rising context: objectively-insightful. Unpacking of the 'lions led by donkeys' acquired meme. The paradoxical inadequacy of Britain's regular Army (reputation/size/confidence versus practical reality) and the massive expectation placed upon clueless conscripts. The UK Home Front aspects (totally-overshadowed by the equivalent nastiness of WW2, but shockingly-affective, at the time: I had
no idea about eg the bans from 1914-1918 on flying kites, bonfires, buying rounds of drinks, all sorts of proto-fascist uberstaat unpleasantry under the 'Defence of the Realm' Act)
pps my attendance 'at forum' continues to be much below par, for which I continue to obliquely apologise. But if there were any woods (trees/forests/whatevers) I am not (either personally nor collectively) out of them....by any measure....though, 'twas ever so, e'n for us all.