*
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 28, 2024, 08:39:33 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Donate

We Appreciate Your Support

Recent

Author Topic: Poilu  (Read 1843 times)

Offline vtsaogames

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1512
    • Corlears Hook Fencibles
Poilu
« 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.
And the glorious general led the advance
With a glorious swish of his sword and his lance
And a glorious clank of his tin-plated pants. - Dr. Seuss


My blog: http://corlearshookfencibles.blogspot.com/

Offline Mad Gadgeteer

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 268
Re: Poilu
« Reply #1 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.
"May the dice of your God's roll like the breasts of your favorite concubine."  Graeme "Henry" Henderson, Dumfries c1980

Offline gvwalker

  • Schoolboy
  • Posts: 6
Re: Poilu
« Reply #2 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.

Offline Metternich

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2559
Re: Poilu
« Reply #3 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).

Offline Mad Gadgeteer

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 268
Re: Poilu
« Reply #4 on: December 26, 2018, 08:26:40 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.

Offline Euthanasor

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 145
Re: Poilu
« Reply #5 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.

Offline Metternich

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2559
Re: Poilu
« Reply #6 on: February 11, 2019, 06:48:15 PM »
The Junger book  is "Storm of Steel" in English language publications.  Also an excellent book.