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Miniatures Adventure => The Great War => Topic started by: vtsaogames on December 25, 2018, 02:24:36 PM

Title: Poilu
Post by: vtsaogames on December 25, 2018, 02:24:36 PM
Found under the Christmas tree:

Poilu, the World War I Notebooks of Corporal Louis Barthas, Barrel-maker, 1914-1918

Thank you, sweet wife!

And before that, for my birthday the Peninsular War Atlas. Oh yes.
Title: Re: Poilu
Post by: Mad Gadgeteer on December 25, 2018, 03:18:19 PM
Poilu is an awesome book.

I'd also recommend 'Fear: A Novel of World War I' by Gabriel Chevallier and 'Under Fire' by Henri Barbusse.

If you do decide 'Under Fire' do your best to find a 1916 1st edition. For some reason it got edited after that and chunks were left out.
Title: Re: Poilu
Post by: gvwalker on December 26, 2018, 12:49:27 PM
It is an excellent book. I read it last year (the Kindle version) and highly recommend it.
Title: Re: Poilu
Post by: Metternich on December 26, 2018, 06:18:28 PM
An excellent book indeed - and told from a perspective we rarely hear from (a low-ranking, but highly literate, French infantryman).
Title: Re: Poilu
Post by: Mad Gadgeteer on December 26, 2018, 08:26:40 PM
Quote from: Metternich on December 26, 2018, 06:18:28 PM
An excellent book indeed - and told from a perspective we rarely hear from (a low-ranking, but highly literate, French infantryman).

You'd really like the two I mentioned above, they are both from low-rankers.
Title: Re: Poilu
Post by: Euthanasor on February 10, 2019, 02:18:50 PM
what I particulary noticed in that book, is how fact of being socialist, bring him hate of his officers, disgraded, and how he endend the war exhausted, after 4 years of trench fighting, unable to fight any more. Never read something else like that. This book was one of François Miterrand's (french president of the Republic from 1981 to 1995) favorite.
I also hardly recommand "Ceux de 14" from Maurice Genevoix. This captain always had the matter of his men and dedicated his memories to his dead fellow friend. Maurice Genevoix woulh have had the "prix Goncourt" 1916, if he hadn't described french retreats. The price finaly go to "Le feu" from Henri Barbusse.
For the German side, you may read "Orage d'acier" from the real warrior Ernst Junger or "A l'ouest rien de nouveau" from Erich Maria Remarque.
Title: Re: Poilu
Post by: Metternich on February 11, 2019, 06:48:15 PM
The Junger book  is "Storm of Steel" in English language publications.  Also an excellent book.