Regeneration - Pat Barker
Regeneration is the first of Pat Barker's Great War trilogy. Its focus is on Craiglockhart War Hospital in Scotland circa 1917. Three characters in the novel are based on real individuals who knew each other while they were at Craiglockhart. - Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen and Dr. W.H.R. Rivers.
Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
The story begins as a love story in Amiens, northern France in 1910, and moves on to Flanders in 1916, where it concentrates on the war as it was experienced by infantrymen and tunnelers on the front. It is taught at school and university on both English and History syllabuses; it has sold more than two million copies in the United Kingdom and three million worldwide
A Covenant With Death – John Harris
Originally published in 1961, the book describes a group of friends who answer “the call” in 1914, and are sent to Egypt to guard the Suez Canal. The three men are disappointed with the posting, and fear that the war in Europe will be over before they see any action. Later their wishes are granted and they end up in France where their experiences of the full horror of trench warfare are vividly described by Harris.
All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
Erich Maria Remarque was born in 1898, and was drafted into the German army in 1916 . He was badly wounded. Ten years after the war ended, he published Im Westen Nichts Neues (literally "Nothing New in the West"), which was later translated into English as All Quiet on the Western Front. It describes the experiences of ordinary German soldiers during the war. It is a hard-hitting anti-war book written by a participant. The book was banned by the Nazis because of its repudiation of conflict.
Our War
Published by the Royal Irish Academy, this well-illustrated book with many unique images, has contributions from John Horne, Catriona Pennell, Philip Orr, Paul Bew, David Fitzpatrick, Caitríona Clear, Niamh Puirséil, Jane Leonard, Terence Brown and Keith Jeffery.
Torpedoed!
Philip Lecane's book tells the stories of many of the people who sailed on the last voyage of the R.M.S. Leinster, including ship's crew, postal workers, civilian and military passengers.
Max Hastings - 'Catastrophe'
Max Hastings writes about the first months of the war, how the conflict came about and what befell millions of men and women during the conflict.
A Coward if I Return, a Hero if I Fall
A collection of veterans’ stories as told by their families, with military records, surviving documents and letters.
Sleepwalkers - Christopher Clark
Clarke examines the complex series of events and interrelationships that led a group of well-meaning leaders into international conflict.