Military
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The Beauty and the Sorrow: An Intimate History of the First World War
In this masterly, highly original narrative history, Peter Englund takes a revelatory new approach to the history of World War I, magnifying its least examined, most stirring component: the experiences of the average man and woman-not only the tragedy and horror but also the absurdity and even, at times, the beauty.
The twenty people from whose journals and letters Englund draws are from Belgium, Denmark, and France; Great Britain, Germany, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire; Italy, Australia, and New Zealand; Russia, Venezuela, and the United States. There is a young man in the British army infantry who had been considering emigrating until the war offered him its "grand promise of change" and a middle-aged French civil servant, a socialist and writer whose "faith simply crumbled" at the outbreak of war. There is a twelve-year-old German girl thrilled with the news of the army's victories because it means that she and her classmates are allowed to shout and scream at school. There is an American woman married to a Polish aristocrat, living a life of quiet luxury when the war begins but who will be moved, ultimately, to declare: Looking Death in the eyes, one loses the fear of Him. From field surgeon to nurse to fighter pilot, some are on the Western Front, others in the Balkans, East Africa, Mesopotamia. Two will die, one will never hear a shot fired; some will become prisoners of war, others will be celebrated as heroes. But despite their various war-time occupations and fates, genders and nationalities, they will be united by their involvement-witting or otherwise-in The Great, and terrible, War.
A brilliant mosaic of perspectives that moves between the home front and the front lines, The Beauty and the Sorrow reconstructs the feelings, impressions, experiences, and shifting spirits of these twenty particular people, allowing them to speak not only for themselves but also for all those who were in some way shaped by the war, but whose voices have been forgotten, rejected, or simply remained unheard.
The twenty people from whose journals and letters Englund draws are from Belgium, Denmark, and France; Great Britain, Germany, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire; Italy, Australia, and New Zealand; Russia, Venezuela, and the United States. There is a young man in the British army infantry who had been considering emigrating until the war offered him its "grand promise of change" and a middle-aged French civil servant, a socialist and writer whose "faith simply crumbled" at the outbreak of war. There is a twelve-year-old German girl thrilled with the news of the army's victories because it means that she and her classmates are allowed to shout and scream at school. There is an American woman married to a Polish aristocrat, living a life of quiet luxury when the war begins but who will be moved, ultimately, to declare: Looking Death in the eyes, one loses the fear of Him. From field surgeon to nurse to fighter pilot, some are on the Western Front, others in the Balkans, East Africa, Mesopotamia. Two will die, one will never hear a shot fired; some will become prisoners of war, others will be celebrated as heroes. But despite their various war-time occupations and fates, genders and nationalities, they will be united by their involvement-witting or otherwise-in The Great, and terrible, War.
A brilliant mosaic of perspectives that moves between the home front and the front lines, The Beauty and the Sorrow reconstructs the feelings, impressions, experiences, and shifting spirits of these twenty particular people, allowing them to speak not only for themselves but also for all those who were in some way shaped by the war, but whose voices have been forgotten, rejected, or simply remained unheard.
Editorial Reviews
"Intense and bighearted . . . The best books about World War I have often been oblique, like Paul Fussell's Great War and Modern Memory, or novels, like Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, rather than comprehensive histories. Englund's volume joins an unconventional pantheon . . . The accounts of [these] lives can be terrifying or stirring, but are most fully alive in Englund's accumulation of small moments, stray details . . . His book has the most devastating ending I can remember in a piece of nonfiction."
-The New York Times
"A wonderfully wide and rich mosaic of personal experience from the First World War."
-Antony Beevor, author of Stalingrad and D-Day: The Battle for Normandy
"Powerful and compelling . . . Of the many books about the First World War this is among the most strikingly original . . . Almost every page of Englund's book is fresh and revelatory."
-Daily Express (UK)
"Englund covers a lot of ground in The Beauty and the Sorrow, geographically, topically, and in point of view . . . Englund succeeds in his goal to humanize the war."
-Dallas Morning News
"Englund frees individual experience from the collective cloak of history and geography [in] this extraordinary book . . . The details build like a symphony."
-Mail on Sunday (UK)
"They call them the lost generation, but you'll find their story here."
-New York Post
"A brilliant feat of retrospective journalism . . . Englund's deft collation provides insights into more than the carnage . . . This book fleshes out the grim statistics of the Great War . . . The eloquence of everyday participants will link the reader to the era when the origins of the ensuing century's conflicts became apparent."
-Publishers Weekly
-The New York Times
"A wonderfully wide and rich mosaic of personal experience from the First World War."
-Antony Beevor, author of Stalingrad and D-Day: The Battle for Normandy
"Powerful and compelling . . . Of the many books about the First World War this is among the most strikingly original . . . Almost every page of Englund's book is fresh and revelatory."
-Daily Express (UK)
"Englund covers a lot of ground in The Beauty and the Sorrow, geographically, topically, and in point of view . . . Englund succeeds in his goal to humanize the war."
-Dallas Morning News
"Englund frees individual experience from the collective cloak of history and geography [in] this extraordinary book . . . The details build like a symphony."
-Mail on Sunday (UK)
"They call them the lost generation, but you'll find their story here."
-New York Post
"A brilliant feat of retrospective journalism . . . Englund's deft collation provides insights into more than the carnage . . . This book fleshes out the grim statistics of the Great War . . . The eloquence of everyday participants will link the reader to the era when the origins of the ensuing century's conflicts became apparent."
-Publishers Weekly
Readers Top Reviews
Rindlisbacher Bernha
Das Buch zeigt aus der Sicht von 20 ganz normalen Menschen, wie sie den 1. Weltkrieg miterlebt haben. Einige davon haben den Krieg nicht überlebt, andere haben ihn mit psychischen Schäden "überlebt". Es sind nicht die Geschichten, der hochdekorierten Generäle oder die Taten von "Superhelden". Das Buch beschreibt eindrücklich und in gut verständlicher Sprache (Englisch) die Erfahrungen dieser Menschen.
BryanDixieNan
I bought The Beauty and the Sorrow after reading a glowing review in the Washington Post; unfortunately I couldn't see the qualities the reviewer had. The book was originally written in Swedish, which I think accounts for some of the choppy, awkward sentences in the English translation. I liked the idea of choosing ordinary people to recount the war years instead of focusing on the generals yet again. However it must be said that some of the experiences they chronicled are frightfully dull. There are way too many vignettes subtitled "Alfred Pollard sketches a donkey near the Somme" or something similar. Two points in the book's favor: it takes the reader to places like Africa and the Middle East (this was a world war after all) and the author makes clear how even the generals and kings ostensibly in charge were often making decisions based on wildly inaccurate information. About halfway through the book the characters began to blend into one amorphous mess for me, I'm afraid.
Jeanne B.
This is a fascinating look at World War I, drawn from the histories of more than 20 people who were intimately involved in the war, some in the military and some civilians. It reads more like a novel than a history, but it is not fiction. The writing is so powerful that you can almost smell the gun powder and feel the snow piling over the tops of your boots. The book could have done with some maps. It's hard to keep track of where we are when the only locator is the name of some obscure little town. Also be warned that the Kindle edition does not include the many pages of photographs that are included in the hardcover edition. The photographs really bring the characters and locations to life.
howeey
I wanted to read about the BACKGROUND of WW1 as there is so much written about the war itself. Having read "The Fall of Giants" by Ken Follet, I realized that this war was really generated by the ELITES of the time. This book was about 20 individuals --the Common people--who actaully fought the war in various fashions whether as a nurse,a trainer, doctor, low gov't official, soldier, man who just wanted to battle. It was about all sides from the Ottoman Empire, to the Aficans, to the Serbians AND Germans & French. The ELITES much like OBAMA, brought on so much termoil to their peoples, that the war finally ends with both sides [the common people] throwing away their guns. eg the German Sailors mutiney against their officers and the Frenchman throw away their uniforms and walk home. I NEVER REALLIZED THE WAR REALLY ENDED BECAUSE THE PEOPLE REFUSED TO FIGHT ANYMORE. This is an example of the untrustworthy Media misdirecting people.
Reading JunkieDBS
Ah, I really wanted to like this book. I like reading non-fiction pieces about wars, and I hadn't read much about World War I. I would have preferred more soldier stories, and fewer civilian/politician stories. At times, the book got bogged down in details. I liked reading about the nurses and ambulance drivers. I did like reading about the soldiers and the one sailor profiled. I did not like reading about the French politician or the young girl. And, the Polish countess' story ended much too soon. The book seemed a bit imbalanced as a result. I would appreciate some recommendations about World War I books, if any of you would like to share some titles with me, in the comments. Thank you very much.
Short Excerpt Teaser
CHAPTER 1
1914
Go to war not for the sake of goods and gold, not for your homeland or for honour, nor to seek the death of your enemies, but to strengthen your character, to strengthen it in power and will, in habits, custom and earnestness. That is why I want to go to war.
KRESTEN ANDRESEN
Chronology 1914
28 June Murder of the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo.
23 July Austria-Hungary delivers an ultimatum to Serbia.
28 July Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
29 July Russia mobilises against Austria-Hungary in support of Serbia.
31 July Germany demands that Russia cease mobilisation but Russia continues.
1 August Germany mobilises, as does Russia's ally, France.
2 August German troops enter France and Luxembourg; Russians enter East Prussia.
3 August Germany demands passage for German troops through Belgium. The demand is refused.
4 August Germany invades Belgium. Great Britain declares war on Germany.
6 August French troops enter the German colony of Togoland.
7 August Russia invades German East Prussia.
13 August Austria-Hungary invades Serbia. The campaign is ultimately unsuccessful.
14 August French troops enter German Lothringen (Lorraine) but are pushed back.
18 August Russia invades the Austro-Hungarian province of Galicia.
20 August Brussels falls. German armies sweep south towards Paris.
24 August The Allied invasion of the German colony of the Cameroons begins.
26 August The Battle of Tannenberg begins. The Russian invasion of East Prussia is pushed back.
1 September The Battle of Lemberg begins. It turns into a major defeat for Austria-Hungary.
6 September Start of the Franco-British counter-offensive on the Marne. The German march on Paris is checked.
7 September The second Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia begins.
11 September Start of the so-called Race to the Sea in the west.
23 September Japan declares war on Germany.
12 October The first of a series of battles in Flanders begins.
29 October The Ottoman Empire enters the war on the German side.
3 November Russia invades the Ottoman province of Armenia.
7 November The German colony of Tsingtao in China is conquered by Japanese and British troops.
8 November The third Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia begins.
18 November The start of an Ottoman offensive in the Caucasus.
21 November British troops occupy Basra in Mesopotamia.
7 December The second battle for Warsaw begins.
Sunday, 2 August 1914
Laura de Turczynowicz is woken early one morning in Augustów
What is the worst thing she can imagine? That her husband is ill, injured or even dead? That he has been unfaithful?
It has been a perfect summer. Not only has the weather been perfect- hot, sunny, wonderful sunsets-but they have also moved into a newly built summer villa, tucked away by the lakes in the beautiful Augustów Forest. The children have played for days on end. She and her husband have often rowed out on the lake during the short, white nights of June to greet the rising sun. "All was peace and beauty...a quiet life full of simple pleasure."
It has to be said that the simplicity of her life is relative. The large villa is superbly furnished. She is surrounded the whole time by servants and domestics, who live in a special annexe. (Each of the five-year-old boys has a nanny and the six-year-old girl has her own governess. The children are taken round in a special pony-trap.) They move in the society of the best noble families in the region. They have spent the winter on the French Riviera. (The journey home was fast and simple: European borders are easy to cross and there is still no need for passports.) They have a number of residences: as well as the summer villa and the big house in Suwalki, they have an apartment in Warsaw. Laura de Turczynowicz, née Blackwell, has a sheltered, comfortable existence. She screams at the sight of a mouse. She is frightened of thunder. She is modest and rather shy. She scarcely knows how to cook.
In a photograph taken a summer or so earlier we can see a happy, proud and contented woman, dark blonde, wearing a wide skirt, a white blouse and a large summer hat. We see someone used to a privileged and tranquil life, and a life that gets steadily better. She is by no means alone in that. Though there have been rumours of unrest and distant misdeeds, she has chosen to ignore them. And she is not alone in that, either.
So it really has been a perfect summer and it is still far from over. This evening they are supposed to be holding a lavish dinner party. But where ...
1914
Go to war not for the sake of goods and gold, not for your homeland or for honour, nor to seek the death of your enemies, but to strengthen your character, to strengthen it in power and will, in habits, custom and earnestness. That is why I want to go to war.
KRESTEN ANDRESEN
Chronology 1914
28 June Murder of the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo.
23 July Austria-Hungary delivers an ultimatum to Serbia.
28 July Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
29 July Russia mobilises against Austria-Hungary in support of Serbia.
31 July Germany demands that Russia cease mobilisation but Russia continues.
1 August Germany mobilises, as does Russia's ally, France.
2 August German troops enter France and Luxembourg; Russians enter East Prussia.
3 August Germany demands passage for German troops through Belgium. The demand is refused.
4 August Germany invades Belgium. Great Britain declares war on Germany.
6 August French troops enter the German colony of Togoland.
7 August Russia invades German East Prussia.
13 August Austria-Hungary invades Serbia. The campaign is ultimately unsuccessful.
14 August French troops enter German Lothringen (Lorraine) but are pushed back.
18 August Russia invades the Austro-Hungarian province of Galicia.
20 August Brussels falls. German armies sweep south towards Paris.
24 August The Allied invasion of the German colony of the Cameroons begins.
26 August The Battle of Tannenberg begins. The Russian invasion of East Prussia is pushed back.
1 September The Battle of Lemberg begins. It turns into a major defeat for Austria-Hungary.
6 September Start of the Franco-British counter-offensive on the Marne. The German march on Paris is checked.
7 September The second Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia begins.
11 September Start of the so-called Race to the Sea in the west.
23 September Japan declares war on Germany.
12 October The first of a series of battles in Flanders begins.
29 October The Ottoman Empire enters the war on the German side.
3 November Russia invades the Ottoman province of Armenia.
7 November The German colony of Tsingtao in China is conquered by Japanese and British troops.
8 November The third Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia begins.
18 November The start of an Ottoman offensive in the Caucasus.
21 November British troops occupy Basra in Mesopotamia.
7 December The second battle for Warsaw begins.
Sunday, 2 August 1914
Laura de Turczynowicz is woken early one morning in Augustów
What is the worst thing she can imagine? That her husband is ill, injured or even dead? That he has been unfaithful?
It has been a perfect summer. Not only has the weather been perfect- hot, sunny, wonderful sunsets-but they have also moved into a newly built summer villa, tucked away by the lakes in the beautiful Augustów Forest. The children have played for days on end. She and her husband have often rowed out on the lake during the short, white nights of June to greet the rising sun. "All was peace and beauty...a quiet life full of simple pleasure."
It has to be said that the simplicity of her life is relative. The large villa is superbly furnished. She is surrounded the whole time by servants and domestics, who live in a special annexe. (Each of the five-year-old boys has a nanny and the six-year-old girl has her own governess. The children are taken round in a special pony-trap.) They move in the society of the best noble families in the region. They have spent the winter on the French Riviera. (The journey home was fast and simple: European borders are easy to cross and there is still no need for passports.) They have a number of residences: as well as the summer villa and the big house in Suwalki, they have an apartment in Warsaw. Laura de Turczynowicz, née Blackwell, has a sheltered, comfortable existence. She screams at the sight of a mouse. She is frightened of thunder. She is modest and rather shy. She scarcely knows how to cook.
In a photograph taken a summer or so earlier we can see a happy, proud and contented woman, dark blonde, wearing a wide skirt, a white blouse and a large summer hat. We see someone used to a privileged and tranquil life, and a life that gets steadily better. She is by no means alone in that. Though there have been rumours of unrest and distant misdeeds, she has chosen to ignore them. And she is not alone in that, either.
So it really has been a perfect summer and it is still far from over. This evening they are supposed to be holding a lavish dinner party. But where ...
