Diary Of An Old Contemptible

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Diary of an Old Contemptible

Author : Peter Downham
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2005-04-19
Category : History
ISBN : 9781783400256

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Diary of an Old Contemptible by Peter Downham Pdf

“First class . . . a book that helps the reader to understand just what the ordinary soldier thought about his lot in the Great War.” —The Western Front Association This is a most unusual chronicle of the events of one man during the Great War. A professional soldier at the outbreak, Edward Roe was one of the first to cross over to France in 1914 and as such fought in the early battles of the war and took part in the Retreat from Mons. He was there for the crossing of the Marne and Aisne, the dreadful fighting at Ploegsteert and for the extraordinary events during the first Christmas. Remarkably he witnessed the debacle at Gallipoli and was part of the rear-guard of the Army during the re-embarkation and evacuation of the Peninsula. Thereafter the scene shifts to Mesopotamia and the Tigris Corps in the attempt to relieve General Townshend at Kut. Wounded he returned for the final campaign that captured Baghdad. “The author of these unique and extraordinarily moving diaries, which are supported by excellent maps and footnotes, was Edward Roe, an Irishman who had already served nine years with the British Army by the outbreak of the first world war.” —The Times

Diary of an Old Contemptible

Author : Edward Roe
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 1844151352

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Diary of an Old Contemptible by Edward Roe Pdf

This is a most unusual chronicle of the events of one man during the Great War. A professional soldier at the outbreak, Edward Roe was one of the first to cross over to France in 1914 and as such fought in the early battles of the war and took part in the Retreat from Mons. He was there for the crossing of the Marne and Aisne, the dreadful fighting at Ploegsteert and for the extraordinary events during the first Christmas. Remarkably he witnessed the debacle at Gallipoli and was part of the rear-guard of the Army during the re-embarkation and evacuation of the Peninsula. Thereafter the scene shifts to Mesopotania and the Tigris Corps in the attempt to relieve General Townshend at Kut. Wounded he returned for the final campaign that captured Baghdad.

Fire and Movement

Author : Peter Hart
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 537 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2015
Category : History
ISBN : 9780199989270

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Fire and Movement by Peter Hart Pdf

"The dramatic opening weeks of the Great War passed into legend long before the conflict ended. The British Expeditionary Force fought a mesmerizing campaign, outnumbered and outflanked but courageous and skillful, holding the line against impossible odds, sacrificing themselves to stop the last great German offensive of 1914. A remarkable story of high hopes and crushing disappointment culminates in the climax of the First Battle of Ypres. And yet, as Peter Hart shows in this look at the war's first year, for too long the British part in the 1914 campaigns has been veiled in layers of self-congratulatory myth: a tale of unprepared Britain, reliant on the peerless class of her regular soldiers to bolster the rabble of the unreliable French Army and defeat the teeming hordes of German troops. But the reality of those early months is in fact far more complex-and ultimately, Hart argues, far more powerful than the standard triumphalist narrative. Fire and Movement places the British role in 1914 into a proper historical context, incorporating the personal experiences of the men who were present on the front lines. The British regulars were indeed skillful soldiers, Hart writes, courageous and adaptable in the near-impossible circumstances in which they found themselves. But they also lacked practice in many of the required disciplines of modern warfare. Hart also offers a more accurate portrait of the German Army they faced--not the caricature of hordes of automatons, but the reality of a well-trained and superlatively equipped force that outfought the BEF in the early battles--and allows readers to come to a full appreciation of the role of the French Army, which has often been marginalized"--Provided by publisher.

Challenge of Battle

Author : Adrian Gilbert
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 311 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2014-02-20
Category : History
ISBN : 9781472808134

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Challenge of Battle by Adrian Gilbert Pdf

Winston Churchill described the opening campaign of World War I as 'a drama never surpassed'. The titanic clash of Europe's armies in 1914 is one the great stories of 20th-century history, and one in which the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) played a notable part. Previous assessments of the BEF have held to an unshakeable belief in its exceptional performance during the battles of 1914. But closer examination of the historical record reveals a force possessing some key strengths yet undermined by other, significant failings. Within an authoritative and well-paced campaign narrative, Challenge of Battle re-evaluates the Army's leadership, organization and tactics. It describes the problems faced by commanders, grappling with the brutal realities of 20th-century warfare, and explains how the British infantry's famed marksmanship has to be set against the inexperience and tactical shortcomings of the BEF as a whole. However, it also demonstrates the progress made by the British during 1914, concluding with the successful defence of Ypres against superior enemy forces. The author examines the fateful decisions made by senior officers and how they affected the men under their command. Making full use of diaries, letters and other contemporary accounts, he builds a compelling picture of what it was like to fight in the battles of Mons, Le Cateau, the Aisne and Ypres. In this timely new book, Adrian Gilbert clears away the layers of sentiment that have obscured a true historical understanding of the 1914 campaign to provide a full, unvarnished picture of the BEF at war.

Trench

Author : Stephen Bull
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2014-05-20
Category : History
ISBN : 9781472808615

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Trench by Stephen Bull Pdf

A complete guide to trench warfare on the Western Front from an authority on the subject. Even now, 100 years on from the conflict, the image of trenches stretching across Western Europe – packed with young men clinging to life in horrendous conditions – remains a powerful reminder of one of the darkest moments in human history. In this excellent study of trench warfare on the Western Front, expert Dr Stephen Bull reveals the experience of life in the trenches, from length of service and coping with death and disease, to the uniforms and equipment given to soldiers on both sides of the conflict. He reveals how the trenches were constructed, the weaponry which was developed specifically for this new form of warfare, the tactics employed in mass attacks and the increasingly adept defensive methods designed to hold ground at all cost. Packed with photographs, illustrations, annotated trench maps, documents and first-hand accounts, this compelling narrative provides a richly detailed account of World War I, providing a soldier's-eye-view of life in the ominous trenches that scarred the land.

'Conceal, Create, Confuse'

Author : Martin Davies
Publisher : The History Press
Page : 299 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2016-07-11
Category : History
ISBN : 9780750979085

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'Conceal, Create, Confuse' by Martin Davies Pdf

This is the story of the British Army's endeavours during the Great War to deceive the enemy and trick him into weakening his defences and redeploying his reserves. In this year-by-year account, Martin Davies shows how Sir John French and Sir Douglas Haig actively encouraged their Army commanders to employ trickery so that all attacks should come as a 'complete surprise' to the enemy. The methods of concealment of real military artefacts and the creation of dummy ones were ingenious enough but the real art lay in the development of geographically dispersed deception plans which disguised the real time and place of attack and forced the enemy to defend areas threatened by fake operations. Some of these plans, such as disguising mules as tanks and creating dummy airfields bordered on the farcical but were often amazingly effective. The driving force behind the deception plans was GHQ and the Army commanders, further dispelling the myth of 'Lions led by Donkeys'. Evidence shows that the British Army employed deception to advantage in all their theatres of operation.

Everyday Peace

Author : Roger Mac Ginty
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 273 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2021
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780197563397

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Everyday Peace by Roger Mac Ginty Pdf

The everyday, circuitry, and scalability -- Sociality, reciprocity and reciprocity -- Power -- Parley, truce and ceasefire -- Everyday peace on the battlefield -- Gender and everyday peace -- Conflict disruption.

When God Made Hell

Author : Charles Townshend
Publisher : Faber & Faber
Page : 616 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2010-10-21
Category : History
ISBN : 9780571269495

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When God Made Hell by Charles Townshend Pdf

Since 2003, Iraq has rarely left the headlines. But less discussed is the fact that Iraq as we know it was created by the British, in one of the most dramatic interventions in recent history. A cautious strategic invasion by British forces led - within seven years - to imperial expansion on a dizzying scale, with fateful consequences for the Middle East and the world. In When God Made Hell, Charles Townshend charts Britain's path from one of its worst military disasters to extraordinary success with largely unintended consequences, through overconfidence, incompetence and dangerously vague policy. With monumental research and exceptionally vivid accounts of on-the-ground warfare, this a truly gripping account of the Mesopotamia campaign, and its place in the wider political and international context. For anyone seeking to understand the roots of British involvement in Iraq, it is essential reading.

Ypres

Author : Ian Beckett
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 249 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2013-12-16
Category : History
ISBN : 9781317865339

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Ypres by Ian Beckett Pdf

The battle for Ypres in October and November 1914 represented the last opportunity for open, mobile warfare on the Western Front. In the first study of First Ypres for almost 40 years, Ian Beckett draws on a wide range of sources never previously used to reappraise the conduct of the battle, its significance and its legacy.

Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight

Author : Antony Bird
Publisher : Crowood
Page : 282 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2011-09-16
Category : History
ISBN : 9781847973290

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Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight by Antony Bird Pdf

At Le Cateau on 26 August 1914, the commanders of the Second Corps of the British Expeditionary Force elected to fight the German First Army and, although outnumbered three to one, delivered such a smashing blow to the German invaders that the whole of the BEF was able to continue the Retreat to Compiegne without being seriously threatened. Although the British suffered 1,200 of their men and officers killed, and were forced to leave their dead and many of their wounded on the battlefield, as well as thirty-six of their field guns, they inflicted losses on von Kluck's army of nearly 9,000. Yet the architect of this feat of arms, Second Corps commander Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, was sacked soon afterward, while First Corps commander Sir Douglas Haig, who had performed far less impressively, took command of the whole BEF. Antony Bird describes the battle, its aftermath and he examines the men, the weapons and the tactics that made this feat of arms possible.

Tommy's War

Author : Richard van Emden
Publisher : A&C Black
Page : 388 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2014-09-09
Category : History
ISBN : 9781408844366

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Tommy's War by Richard van Emden Pdf

Shares excerpts from the personal diaries and photographs of British soldiers to depict the daily life of a Tommy in the trenches between 1914 and 1918.

1915: The Battle of Dogger Bank to Gallipoli

Author : Saul David
Publisher : Hodder & Stoughton
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2014-11-06
Category : History
ISBN : 9781473603974

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1915: The Battle of Dogger Bank to Gallipoli by Saul David Pdf

This special ebook has been created by historian Saul David from his acclaimed work 100 Days to Vistory: How the Great War was Fought and Won, which was described by the Mail on Sunday as 'Inspired' and by Charles Spencer as 'A work of great originality and insight'. Through key dates from the Battle of Dogger Bank on 24th January 1914, to the Gallipoli landings, Saul David's gripping narrative is an enthralling tribute to a generation of men and women whose sacrifice should never be forgotten.

1914: The Outbreak of War to the Christmas Truce

Author : Saul David,Saul David Ltd
Publisher : Hodder & Stoughton
Page : 129 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2014-07-31
Category : History
ISBN : 9781473603967

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1914: The Outbreak of War to the Christmas Truce by Saul David,Saul David Ltd Pdf

This special ebook has been created by historian Saul David from his acclaimed work 100 Days to Vistory: How the Great War was Fought and Won, which was described by the Mail on Sunday as 'Inspired' and by Charles Spencer as 'A work of great originality and insight'. Through key dates from 4 August 1914, when Britain declared war, to the Christmas Truce of 24 December 1914, Saul David's gripping narrative is an enthralling tribute to a generation of men and women whose sacrifice should never be forgotten.

1917: Vimy Ridge to Ypres

Author : Saul David
Publisher : Hodder & Stoughton
Page : 123 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2016-11-10
Category : History
ISBN : 9781473603998

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1917: Vimy Ridge to Ypres by Saul David Pdf

This special ebook has been created by historian Saul David from his acclaimed work 100 Days to Victory: How the Great War was Fought and Won, which was described by the Mail on Sunday as 'Inspired' and by Charles Spencer as 'A work of great originality and insight'. Through key dates from the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, to the capture of Jerusalem, Saul David's gripping narrative is an enthralling tribute to a generation of men and women whose sacrifice should never be forgotten.

100 Days to Victory: How the Great War Was Fought and Won 1914-1918

Author : Saul David,Saul David Ltd
Publisher : Hodder & Stoughton
Page : 597 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2013-09-12
Category : History
ISBN : 9781444763379

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100 Days to Victory: How the Great War Was Fought and Won 1914-1918 by Saul David,Saul David Ltd Pdf

Saul David's 100 DAYS TO VICTORY is a totally original, utterly engaging account of the Great War - the first book to tell the story of the 'war to end all wars' through the events of one hundred key days between 1914 and 1918. 100 DAYS TO VICTORY is a 360 degree portrait of a global conflict that stretched east from the shores of Britain to the marshes of Iraq, and south from the forests of Russia to the bush of German South East Africa. Throughout his gripping narrative we hear the voices of men and women both eminent and ordinary, some who were spectators on the Home Front, others - including Saul David's own family - who were deeply embroiled in epic battles that changed the world forever. 100 DAYS TO VICTORY is the work of a great historian and supreme story teller. Most importantly, it is also an enthralling tribute to a generation whose sacrifice should never be forgotten.