An English translation of the French World War I novel "Le Feu", written by a French soldier and dedicated to "the memory of the comrades who fell by my side at Crony and on Hill 119." Barbusse was invalided out of the army after 17 months in 1915, and given a clerical job, during which time he penned this work. He was greatly influenced by the Russian Revolution and joined the communist party.
Captain Karl von Schenk of the Kaiser's Navy is a stereotypical German nobleman - supremely self-confident, touchy about the divisions of class and any infringement on his place. He thinks he is handsome, has a suitably manly physique, an excellent singing voice, and a facility with writing. His wartime service related in his diary is a series of triumphs over harrowing circumstances, bringing his boat back in spite of the best efforts of the Royal Navy to stop him.
His one vulnerability is a young lady he meets on leave in Bruges, Belgium. Although she is the trophy girlfriend of a German colonel who could cause him much harm if he were to find out, von Schenk pursues his Zoe with Teutonic straightforwardness. And both he and the reader are entirely blind-sided by the unexpected thunderclap that puts an end to the sweet affair.
Stephen King-Hall, a Royal Navy officer during the war and writing as "Etienne", penned this book as if he had simply discovered it on a surrendered submarine. In fact, some editions of the book list the author as "anonymous." King-Hall's knowlege of naval affairs lend authority to this yarn of men that go to the sea in ships that sink... on purpose.
These lesser known stories were penned by Conan Doyle during the period between killing off Sherlock Holmes in 1893 and reluctantly resurrecting him some ten years later. The swashbuckling, eponymous hero, Etienne Gerard, is one of Napoleon's gallant French Hussars, who considers himself the finest of them all. Through these "Boys Own Adventures", Conan Doyle pokes gentle fun at both the French and the English. This is the second volume containing eight adventures.
It tells the story of Henry Esmond's twin grandsons, George and Henry Warrington. Henry's romantic entanglements with an older woman lead up to his taking a commission in the British army and fighting under the command of General Wolfe at the capture of Quebec. On the outbreak of the American War of Independence he takes the revolutionary side. George, who is also a British officer, thereupon resigns his commission rather than take up arms against his brother.
In the unsettled years of England's War of the Roses, where a man stood on the issue of kingship could make his fortune... or end his life. Dick Shelton, a nobly-born lad, is on the cusp of manhood, and he is thrust bodily into this stew where allegiances shift under one's feet. Circumstances cause him to fall in with a gentlemaiden in boy's disguise. Until he learns of the deception, Dick is unaware that the young lady is an heiress whom his guardian Sir Daniel had kidnapped. And the introduction of an outlaw with a penchant for putting black arrows into the bodies of the men who had wronged him affords Dick a worrying hint - that Sir Daniel might have been the man that had murdered Dick's father!
This 1923 Pulitzer Prize winning novel was written by Willa Cather. This work had been inspired by reading her cousin G.P. Cather's wartime letters home to his mother. He was the first officer from Nebraska killed in World War I. Claude Wheeler, the subject of the novel, is a young man growing up on a Nebraska farm. The son of well to do parents, Claude is troubled by his apparent inability to find purpose with his life. Everything he does seems to turn out wrong, at least in his own mind. Although he is a skilled farmer, Claude believes his destiny lies elsewhere. While attending a church-affiliated college his parents have selected for him, he befriends a German family (the Ehrlichs’) who open his eyes to other possibilities in life. When Claude’s father expands the Wheeler farming interests, Claude must leave college to return to his roots and operate the Wheeler farm. During this period, he marries a childhood friend, Enid, in what turns out to be a marriage of convenience rather than love. Enid tries to convert her new husband to her many other causes such as Prohibition in Nebraska. Eventually, Enid leaves Claude to care for her missionary sister who is ill in China, and Claude is somewhat relieved to see her go. During this period, Europe is ablaze with World War I. Claude and his mother fervently follow the events. Claude eventually enlists in the American Expeditionary Forces, becomes an officer, and travels to France to fight for the cause. Finally believing he has found purpose in his life, Claude revels in his new freedom and responsibilities. Despite an influenza epidemic and the continuing hardships of the battlefield, Claude has never felt as though he mattered more. His pursuit of vague notions of purpose and principle culminate in a ferocious front-line encounter with an overwhelming German onslaught.
The work, which was admired by Herman Melville and Joseph Conrad for its authentic portrayal of a seafaring life and takes place during the American Revolution, launched a whole genre of maritime fiction. It features a mysterious and almost superhuman American sea pilot (based on the American hero John Paul Jones) who fights battles off the coast of England against the British and American loyalists. One of the book’s themes is the ambiguous nature of loyalty. Although often bogged down by complicated nautical terminology and intrusive philosophical dialogue, the novel is nevertheless noted for its spiritual and moral dimensions.
The Angel of the Revolution: A Tale of the Coming Terror (1893) is a science fiction novel by English writer George Griffith. It was his first published novel and remains his most famous work. It was first published in Pearson's Weekly and was prompted by the success of The Great War of 1892 in Black and White magazine, which was itself inspired by The Battle of Dorking.
A lurid mix of Jules Verne's futuristic air warfare fantasies, the utopian visions of News from Nowhere and the future war invasion literature of Chesney and his imitators, it tells the tale of a group of terrorists who conquer the world through airship warfare. Led by a crippled, brilliant Russian Jew and his daughter, the 'angel' Natasha, 'The Brotherhood of Freedom' establish a 'pax aeronautica' over the earth after a young inventor masters the technology of flight in 1903. The hero falls in love with Natasha and joins in her war against society in general and the Russian Czar in particular. It correctly forecasts the coming of a great war, but in pretty well all other respects widely misses the mark of the real events that followed. Nevertheless, it is a gripping and exciting story of intrigue and plot interwoven with love and romance played over a background of world war.
"Mr. Britling Sees It Through" is H. G. Wells' attempt to make sense of World War I. It begins with a lighthearted account of an American visiting England for the first time, but the outbreak of war changes everything. Day by day and month by month, Wells chronicles the unfolding events and public reaction as witnessed by the inhabitants of one house in rural Essex. Each of the characters tries in a different way to keep their bearings in a world suddenly changed beyond recognition. This book was published in 1916 while the war was still in progress, so no clear resolution was possible. Wells did not know how long the war would last or which side would ultimately win, but he hoped that somehow, something good might eventually come of it.
We have had many novels about alternate histories, often of the 'What would have happened if Hitler had won the war' type and this is another - except that this one is set in 1913 and the 'William' of the title is that old bogeyman 'Kaiser Bill'. For some reason, at the height of Britain's power, the fear of invasion was common at that time. (See 'The Riddle of the Sands', 'The Battle of Dorking', 'Spies of the Kaiser' or even 'The War of the Worlds')
WARNING:- Contains mild anti-semitism and jingoism typical of the period
Vincent Wingfield is the son of a wealthy Virginian planter. When the country goes to war, he enlists in the cavalry, and sees action under the various generals commanding the army in and near Virginia. He has several private adventures as well, including a personal enemy, prison escape, rescue of a young lady, spying expedition, and recovery of a stolen slave. He rises in rank in the Confederate army, and after the war is over, he marries and returns home to manage his mother's plantation.
Henty in this book gives an overview of the causes of the Civil War, and follows the battles and movements of the army in Virginia and the surrounding area. The issue of slavery is discussed several times from the viewpoint of an Englishman who detested the institution, but saw that most slaves on large plantations were well treated. While not an an exhaustive work, With Lee In Virginia covers the main generals (Lee, Jackson, Stuart, Grant, McClellan, Sherman, Pope, etc.) and the most important battles of the war in an interesting and instructive format.
Twenty-six stories of pre-World War I British naval life in war and peace.
"The Rock of Chickamauga," presenting a critical phase of the great struggle in the west, is the sixth volume in the series, dealing with the Civil War, of which its predecessors have been "The Guns of Bull Run," "The Guns of Shiloh," "The Scouts of Stonewall," "The Sword of Antietam" and "The Star of Gettysburg." Dick Mason who fights on the Northern side, is the hero of this romance, and his friends reappear also.
Die Waffen Nieder, in English: Lay Down Your Arms is a fictional biography, which describes four wars from the perspective of a soldier's wife. The response to the book was worldwide; it became popular, and it can be described as the beginning of the peace movements of our times. Von Suttner received the Nobel Peace Prize - she was a candidate since the first award-ceremony (according to Alfred Nobel himself). She foresaw and watched the rise of the First World War, was warning and campaigning against it; but died before the beginning of WW1. Her friend for years, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Alfred Fried, passed on her last words - they were the title of this book and a plea: „Die Waffen nieder! Sag’s vielen... vielen“ “Lay down the arms! Tell it to many... many”
"The Sword of Antietam" tells a complete story, but it is one in the chain of Civil War romances, begun in "The Guns of Bull Run" and continued through "The Guns of Shiloh" and "The Scouts of Stonewall." The young Northern hero, Dick Mason, and his friends are in the forefront of the tale.
Pierre and Luce were an unlikely young pair who found themselves in the chaos of Paris during the war; Pierre, the shy, recently conscripted pacifist, and Luce, the free spirited artist in training, and both confused about the things going on around them. Why were these war birds flying overhead? Why these warning sirens, and occasional bombs exploding in the distance? Why did the government leaders, who didn't even know one another, hate and destroy so much? Why did these two delicate young adults find each other now? This story takes place between Jan. 30 and Good Friday, May 29, 1918.
Arthur Conan Doyle was deeply affected by the many wars fought during his lifetime. As many other writers, he used the material for short stories, a collection of which is presented here.
Under Wellington's Command is the sequel to With Moore at Corunna. The book picks up where the last book left off when Portugal is freed from the French in 1809. Terence O'Connor is still in command of the Minho regiment of Portuguese, and serves with distinction on detached duty in harassing the French and gaining information. His command being on the edge the allied army, is constantly engaged in skirmishes and in the great battles of the Peninsular War.
The first volume in the Civil War series, following the adventures of Harry Kenton, who leaves his home in Kentucky. He travels through dangerous territory to South Carolina on a secret mission on the eve of the Civil War.
(From Chapter 4) "They will not fire! They dare not!" cried Shepard in a tense, strained whisper. As the last word left his lips there was a heavy crash. A tongue of fire leaped from one of the batteries, followed by a gush of smoke, and a round shot whistled over the Star of the West. A tremendous shout came from the crowd, then it was silent, while that tongue of flame leaped a second time from the mouth of a cannon. Harry saw the water spring up, a spire of white foam, near the steamer, and a moment later a third shot clipped the water close by. He did not know whether the gunners were firing directly at the vessel or merely meant to warn her that she came nearer at her peril, but in any event, the effect was the same. South Carolina with her cannon was warning a foreign ship, the ship of an enemy, to keep away. The Star of the West slowed down and stopped. Then another shout, more tremendous than ever, a shout of triumph, came from the crowd, but Harry felt a chill strike to his heart. Young St. Clair, too, was silent and Harry saw a shadow on his face. He looked for Shepard, but he was gone and the boy had not heard him go. "It is all over," said St. Clair, with the certainty of prophecy. "The cannon have spoken and it is war."
The Northern Army has just be handed a great defeat at Bull Run and is headed back to Washington, DC. How will the North answer this defeat? Follow our hero, Dick Mason, into the Western campaign to find out.
This is the second book in the Civil War Series by Joseph A. Altsheler.
The Army of Northern Virginia, still victorious after three hard years of fighting, capitalize on their victories at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, and a young Harry Kenton, is an eyewitness to the Confederate invasion of the north, culminating in the epic three-day struggle at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where Robert E. Lee puts into place a strategy that will end the war, or shatter his army.
James Gillet recounts his adventures with the Texas Rangers 1856-1937. In a very entertaining style he recounts personal stories of wars, feuds, battles with the Apache nation and pursuing robbers and murderers. From these stories, and others like them, arose the many legends of courage and daring among the Texas Rangers.“The Texas Rangers, as an organization, dates from the spring of 1836. When the Alamo had fallen before the onslaught of the Mexican troops and the frightful massacre had occurred, General Sam Houston organized among the Texan settlers in the territory a troop of 1600 mounted riflemen. This company, formed for the defense of the Texan borders, was the original Texas Ranger unit. . .” from chapter 2
The story begins in a grim feudal castle in Normandie. The times were troublous, and soon the king compelled Lady Margaret de Villeroy, with her children, to go to Paris as hostages. Guy Aylmer went with her.
Paris was turbulent. Soon the guild of the butchers, adopting white hoods as their uniform, seized the city, and besieged the house where our hero and his charges lived. After desperate fighting, the white hoods were beaten and our hero and his charges escaped from the city, and from France.
The story of the war in which the power of the great Mahratta confederacy was broken ended in the firm establishment of the British Empire the Indian Peninsula. When the struggle began, the Mahrattas were masters of no small portion of India; their territory comprising the whole country between Bombay and Delhi, and stretching down from Rajputana to Allahabad; while in the south they were lords of the district of Cuttack, thereby separating Madras from Calcutta. The jealousies of the great Mahratta leaders, Holkar and Scindia, who were constantly at war with each other, or with the Peishwa at Poona, divided and weakened the nation and allowed the British to conquer, although at the cost of much blood, to free a large portion of India from a race that was a scourge--faithless, intriguing and crafty; cruel, and reckless of life. Henty paints the Mahrattas as cowardly tyrants and deserving of their ultimate downfall.
This book was written by a British Army officer and decorated Western Front veteran. Soldiers could not publish books using their real names, so newspaper magnate Lord Northcliffe christened McNeile, Sapper, to reflect his Royal Engineers background, under which pseudonym the book was published. McNeile also wrote the Bulldog Drummond spy/wartime adventures.
No Man's Land is made up of five parts: The Way To The Land is a preface to the rest of the book in which fictional character Clive Draycott travels in Europe prior to the outbreak of the war. Part II The Land consists of 8 stories detailing the day to day lives of soldiers in the trenches. Part III Seed Time is about a salesman turned soldier, and Part IV Harvest in which Sapper puts forward the theory that war is awful, and many suffer but those who survive it can be changed for the better. Themes of class, gender, history abound.
One of a series of youth-oriented adventure books set in contemporary WWII era, featuring fictional American flying ace, Dave Dawson.
Eleven stories of war by the author of The Red Badge of Courage. Stephen Crane was an American author. He is recognized by modern critics as one of the most innovative writers of his generation. Crane's writing is characterized by vivid intensity, distinctive dialects, and irony. Common themes involve fear, spiritual crises and social isolation. His writing made a deep impression on 20th-century writers, most prominent among them Ernest Hemingway, and is thought to have inspired the Modernists and the Imagists.
Bill is in training camp, preparing to go off to World War I. This book is a collection of love letters written to his sweetheart, Mable. The letters are humorous, mis-spelled, and have many stories of life in an army camp - all from Bill's unique perspective.
Originally published anonymously in 1924, this intriguing work of science fiction, categorized by Bleiler under 'imaginary wars and inventions' (the work anticipates a 'second world war' and the importance of communications technology, including the coding, decoding, transmission & interception of messages). Alexander Forbes was a Harvard physiologist who contributed considerably to the fields of physiology and neuroscience in the 20th century.
In three parts, from Physical Culture magazine, July - September, 1911. In this story, the author warns of the coming of a world war between Japan and U.S. While the Japanese have a superior society, they suffer from food shortages and over-population so go to war with the U.S., who is plagued by a society of ill health and habit. Some predictions are remarkably accurate. The story itself was commissioned by Bernarr Macfadden, who was an early proponent of health and fitness in the U.S. and founded the magazine publisher McFadden Publications.
It is a fictional tale of cavalry actions during the U.S. Civil War, under General John Morgan.
"The Shades of the Wilderness" is the seventh book of the Civil War Series by Joseph A. Altsheler. Picking up where "The Star of Gettysburg" left off, this story continues the Civil War experiences of Harry Kenton and his friends in the Southern army, from the retreat after Gettygurg, to Richmond, and then through the battles of the Wilderness and Spottsylvania, to Robert E. Lee's heroic stand during the siege of Petersburg.
Other books in the Civil War series are: "The Guns of Bull Run," "The Guns of Shiloh," "The Scouts of Stonewall," "The Sword of Antietam", "The Star of Gettysburg","The Rock of Chickamauga", and "The Tree of Appomattox."
This 1922 adventure story for youth and dog lovers will delight anyone with just a little suspension of disbelief. Sentimental and anthropomorphic, it’s still a good read/listen for those who would appreciate how a devoted dog saved his physician master’s life during World War I. Clarence Hawkes, crippled and blind, was a prolific, popular writer, well-known for his nature stories in the twentieth century.
James Grant was a prolific Scottish writer of novels and "novelettes", particularly centered around military life. Included with this regimental tale, are four such novelettes or short stories.
Although the war has ended, Grace still faces many trials as she continues her journey to the Rhine, when she discovers Germans still plotting against the American army.
Marryat was a midshipman under Captain Cochrane and this, his first naval adventure, is considered to be a highly autobiographical telling of his adventures with one of Britain's most famous and daring naval captains.
Five stories of Army life in the mid to late 19th century. Charles King (1844 – 1933) was a United States soldier and a distinguished writer. He wrote and edited over 60 books and novels. Among his list of titles are Campaigning with Crook, Fort Frayne, Under Fire and Daughter of the Sioux.
When Captain Henri Ravignac married Marie Gessler, he was mistakenly thinking she was French. But Marie is in fact German, and her command of the French language and culture makes her a perfect spy. At the first opportunity, she double-crossed Captain Ravignac and stole valuable documents from him, which makes her a great candidate for espionage when World War I breaks out. Travelling with the documents of Countess d'Aurillac, she moves behind enemy lines, but the life of a spy is typically turbulent and short...
Young Adult historical fiction of a young man joining the Union Army and taking part in the Great Locomotive Chase.