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1915 The Death Of Innocence Lyn MacDonald 9780140259001 Books

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1915 The Death Of Innocence Lyn MacDonald 9780140259001 Books

Lyn MacDonald deserves an accolade for practically bringing the history of WW1 back to life. So vivid in description are her accounts of the course of the war in 1915 both on the western front and Gallipoli, that the extent of horrors endured by those who served leave the reader in a state of shock and deep respect for those who sacrificed their all.

Furthermore, personal accounts from individual soldiers who served where consistently given at just the right place, poignantly complimenting respective phases of the conflict. So much so, that again it was almost as though the reader was looking through a window, watching events unfold.

I'm on a roll. This was the second book that I have recently read from Lyn MacDonald, and I'm now hooked on a desire to read more. I know I will not be disappointed.


Tags : 1915 The Death Of Innocence [Lyn MacDonald] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. By the end of 1914, the battered British forces were bogged down, yet hopeful that promised reinforcements and spring weather would soon lead to a victorious breakthrough. A year later,Lyn MacDonald,1915 The Death Of Innocence,Penguin UK,0140259007,VIB0140259007,Campaigns,Personal narratives,World War, 1914-1918,European history,First World War,General & world history,HISTORY Europe General,History Latin America South America,History Military General,Military History,Warfare & defence,World history: First World War,c 1910 to c 1919,c 1914 to c 1918 (including WW1),History: World

1915 The Death Of Innocence Lyn MacDonald 9780140259001 Books Reviews

Lyn MacDonald's writings on WWI are possibly the best available. She is not judgemental, rather she reports using first hand accounts from participants. The reports are always stirring and moving. Her detailed accounts together with a picture of the overall scene of the battles show the decades of research that were required to produce her books.
Some people may criticise this book for not including the French. But to do that, it would have to come in several volumes. World War One is just too vast to include everyone from both sides in one volume. What is covered very well is the experiences of those at the "sharp end". Generals and maps are very well for those who want to follow the overall view, but that does not cover the misery of the rifleman and company officers who did not have the luxury of comfortable billets and lack of danger enjoyed by the higher ranks. Drawing a line on a piece of paper is a far cry from having to man that line. Ordering an attack is easy for those who don't have to do the attacking and have no idea of the conditions of the soldier who has to advance through mud and barbed wire. I am reminded of a staff officer who, on seeing the actual front line after the battle of the Somme said "My God, did we send men to fight in that!"
The other reviewers have spoken to Lyn MacDonalds style and areas of expertise. My experience with this book is that compells me to read it again and again. I pick it up and start reading it in mid chapter, and it's always interesting despite the number of times I have read it. Every page has completely engrossing narrative, so it hooks me any time I pick it up. The account of miners tunnelling underneath enemy lines is particularly memorable.
I'm definitely going to pick up everything else she has written.
This was a good book following the lives and campaigns of British troops in 1915. It mostly centers on the trench war in Belgium (Flanders) and on the Battle of Ypres but also on the campaign against the Turks of the Ottoman Empire at Gallipoli. There is also an account of the horrific troop train crash which killed many British soldiers before they even had a chance to fight. Much of the content of the book is the actual writings from people who were there. It gives you an amazing insight into the innocence of people in those days. There was just a very high sense of duty among men.

The only negative to me is that the name of the book is misleading because reading this, you do not learn about the political or strategic goings on away from the front. And there is almost no writing from the Germans side or even the British allies. There is a little written about the Canadians, the Indian Gurhkas, as well as New Zealand and Australian troops (Anzac). There is almost nothing written from the French troops or German perspective. There is a part I recall where the Germans first decide to use gas but no info is given as to why they did it. Or what decisions were going on in the German command to use it. In fact, I don't even think it was mentioned what kind of gas they used. I assume it was mustard gas because the troops described it as a yellow cloud.

So the book kind of written as though you are there when it happens, and just like the British in the trenches, you don't necessarily know all the details. In a way this works and makes the book more immersive but also leaves you with questions. Reading letters and diaries from troops is great though so it was still a good book. I just think it could have had a different name like "1915 - Letters from the British Front" or something.
MacDonald wrote a very good narrative of a year in the Great War. She covered the action on the Western front, as well as the action at Gallipoli, making the case for “The Death of Innocence.” Her descriptions of the first German gas attacks in 1915 had a significant sense of immediacy and horror. MacDonald achieved this through her extensive use of personal interviews and the use of written first person accounts; she quotes these veterans extensively throughout the narrative. I found her description of the troop train disaster in Great Britain involving the Royal Scots to be especially moving. The 7th Battalion lost 226 dead and 246 injured. What I find significant about the book is her extensive use of personal interviews, especially in light of the fact that the last living veteran of World War I died on 4 FEB 2012. In staff schools, we debate whether this war represented a Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). This book exposes the conceit that an RMA is only a more efficient way to kill our fellow man. This was an truly exceptional look at World War I thru the eyes of the soldiers.
This is an Anglophobe's delight.If you like reading about "gallant lads" and such. Sir John French gets a free pass on being a blundering fool and so does Haig
N
Lyn MacDonald's book captures the true and complete horror of warfare in this book. Rich in detail and telling accounts by the men that fought in the savage and bloody battles in 1915. A must read for someone trying to understand the daily misery and destruction of a generation of brave men. By far, my favorite book in the series, but not to discount the others, each of which is a classic and should be read in sequence to grasp the fullness of the story of The Great War.
Lyn MacDonald deserves an accolade for practically bringing the history of WW1 back to life. So vivid in description are her accounts of the course of the war in 1915 both on the western front and Gallipoli, that the extent of horrors endured by those who served leave the reader in a state of shock and deep respect for those who sacrificed their all.

Furthermore, personal accounts from individual soldiers who served where consistently given at just the right place, poignantly complimenting respective phases of the conflict. So much so, that again it was almost as though the reader was looking through a window, watching events unfold.

I'm on a roll. This was the second book that I have recently read from Lyn MacDonald, and I'm now hooked on a desire to read more. I know I will not be disappointed.